Name
Identifying Drivers of Medically Important Mosquito Populations via Drone-acquired Imagery Analysis Post-Hurricane Beryl(2024) in Harris County, Texas
Date & Time
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 4:15 PM - 4:30 PM
Description

Hurricane Beryl hit the greater Houston area in July 2024. This storm caused major rainfall and significant wind throughout the city, resulting in damage to the built environment. It occurred during peak mosquito season with active West Nile Virus transmission. There is currently limited knowledge on post-disaster drivers of medically important mosquitoes, and we believe this event provided an ideal opportunity to evaluate the impact of disaster related environmental changes on mosquito ecology. Using drone-acquired imagery post-disaster, we investigated the correlation between types of debris and mosquito composition and abundance across the City of Houston. Each location was surveyed once weekly over four weeks post-Hurricane Beryl and then monthly for 5 months. For each drone image, trap data was summarized and graphically represented pre- and post-storm event. Drone images were evaluated to characterize built environment and storm related debris. An analysis was conducted to determine drivers of medically important mosquito abundance. We identified non-organic debris, specifically children’s pools and tires, as significant drivers of medically important mosquitos. We believe this study represents a proof-of-concept for using remote sensing to inform community-level abatement efforts to protect public health post natural disaster.

Location Name
202B
Is presenter a student?
Yes