CNY – New York City emergency officials have apologized for broadcasting flood warnings in hard-to-understand Spanish via drones flying over certain neighborhoods.
Authorities had begun deploying high-tech devices to broadcast pre-flood warnings. Things escalated when a video of a drone issuing warnings in both English and Spanish circulated widely on social media, sparking criticism over the pronunciation of the Spanish version in a city where nearly a quarter of residents speak Spanish at home.
“Why is the Spanish version incomprehensible?” wrote one user on social media.
“Can’t the city hire someone who speaks Spanish to put out this notice?” asked another bewildered user on X.
“It's a shame because it looks like a literal Google translation,” added another.
Zach Iscol, the city's director of emergency management, acknowledged on X that the mistranslation “should not have occurred” and assured that steps would be taken to “prevent similar incidents in the future.”
In a later update, the operation shared the entire message in Spanish and clarified that the issue was with the recording of the message, not its translation.
Iscol noted that the message was computer-generated and broadcast in historically flood-prone areas in four city boroughs: Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Flash flooding is a serious risk, especially for New Yorkers who live in basement apartments, which can quickly fill with water during heavy rains. This was especially evident in 2021 during Hurricane Ida.
In follow-up emails sent Wednesday, the agency said the drone broadcast was the first citizen trial of its kind and was “designed and approved in line with our standard protocols, just like all our public communications.” No specific future changes were disclosed.
The government also uses drones to monitor large gatherings and spot storm surges on beaches.
Meanwhile, the city police department is considering sending a robot to patrol the Times Square subway station.