WSN based Weather Monitoring & Early Warning System for Flood Disaster Management using IOT

1. ABSTRACT

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) behaves as a digital skin, providing a virtual layer where
the information about the physical world can be accessed by any computational system.
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) have been Employed to collect data about physical
phenomena. As a result, they are an invaluable resource for realizing the vision of the Internet
of Things (IoT).

The Internet of Things (IoT) provides a virtual view, via the Internet Protocol, to a huge variety
of real life objects, ranging from a car, to a teacup, to a building, to trees in a forest. Its appeal
is the ubiquitous generalized access to the status and location of any “thing” we may be
interested in. The Internet of Things (IoT) is the network of physical objects, devices, vehicles,
buildings and other items which are embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network
connectivity, which enables these objects to collect and exchange data. WSNs are integrated
into the “IoT”, where sensor nodes join the Internet dynamically, and use it to collaborate and
accomplish their tasks. Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are well suited for long-term
environmental data acquisition for IoT representation. Weather monitoring are made by
collecting quantitative data about the current state of the atmosphere on a given place and using
scientific understanding of atmospheric processes to project how the atmosphere will evolve
on that place.

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WSN based Weather Monitoring & Early Warning System for Flood Disaster Management using IOT

2. INTRODUCTION
The future Internet, designed as an Internet of Things is foreseen to be a world-wide network
of interconnected objects uniquely addressable, based on standard communication protocols.
Identified by a unique address, any object including computers, sensors, RFID tags or mobile
phones will be able to dynamically join the network, collaborate and cooperate efficiently to
achieve different tasks. Including WSNs in such a scenario will open new perspectives. Covering
a wide application field, WSNs can play an important role by collecting surrounding context and
environment information. These are similar to wireless ad hoc networks in the sense that they rely
on wireless connectivity and spontaneous formation of networks so that sensor data can be
transported wirelessly. WSNs are spatially distributed autonomous sensors to monitor physical or
environmental conditions, such as temperature, sound, pressure, etc. and to cooperatively pass
their data through the network to a main location. The more modern networks are bi-directional,
also enabling control of sensor activity. The development of wireless sensor networks was
motivated by military applications such as battlefield surveillance; today such networks are used
in many industrial and consumer applications, such as industrial process monitoring and control,
machine health monitoring, and so on.

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WSN based Weather Monitoring & Early Warning System for Flood Disaster Management using IOT

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Flooding is the most common natural disaster worldwide happens without prior warning.
Floods have been known to do some significant damage. They destroy homes, crops, cars,
buildings and anything in their path. Animals and people get caught in the current of the flowing
water and can't get out before rescue attempts are made. Although flooding was an abnormal
phenomena agers ago, but now it is considered a life treating natural disaster for the mankind.
Flooding has always resulting in enormous anxiety on countries across the continent where by lost
of life’s, people displaced, agricultural land submerged in mud’s, roads, bridges and houses
washed away. As a result of flooding, the damages on properties are clearly visible. Many
individual and organization required to spend time and afford to reduce the overhead on the flood
restoration plans for the infected locations and as well as for the victims. Most of these plans
involve big amount of money and lots of human force such as rescue workers, doctors, nurses,
engineers and etc. Other than the human forces, the government has to spend a big amount of
money in various restorations of physical structures in the flood infected locations. If only early
flood warning system has been effectively utilized, these losses can be reduced and of water, such
as a river or lake, which overflows or breaks levees, with the result that some of the water escapes
its usual boundaries, or may be due to accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground in an area
flood. It can also arise from abnormal heavy precipitation, dam failures, rapid snow melts, river
blockages in. Impacts of Flood Events. Floods are among the most dramatic forms of interaction
between man and its environment. They are always associated with heavy loses of life and
property, misery hardship disease and at times, famine. There are two main causes of flood which
are natural and man-made. Some examples of natural causes are heavy rainfall and overflowing of
riverbanks which usually results to perennial flooding. Also, heavy rainfall accompanied by
flooding cannot only cause tremendous damage to buildings and homes, but also kill woody and
herbaceous plants in . In the author stated that sirens are designed to provide a very rapid alert to
potentially threatened populations. They are currently the only reliable means of alerting outdoor
populations. Some sirens are used in making an effective FWS. Furthermore, a local flood warning
system helps in increasing lead time for watches and warnings at locations subject to flood risk.
The information can be used to predict whether a flood is about to occur, when it will arrive, and
how severe it will be. Organizations and individuals are given notice by the system so they can

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protect themselves and their property. Floods impact on both individuals and communities and
have social, economic, and environmental punishment. The consequences of floods, both negative
and positive, vary greatly depending on the location and scope of flooding, and the susceptibility
and value of the natural and constructed environments they affect. Floods can also traumatize
victims and their families for long periods of time. The loss of loved ones has deep impacts,
especially on children. Displacement from one's home, loss of property and disruption to business
and social affairs can cause continuing stress.

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WSN based Weather Monitoring & Early Warning System for Flood Disaster Management using IOT

4. LITERATURE SURVEY

1. Flood Prediction and Disaster Risk Analysis using GIS based Wireless Sensor
Networks

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the flood analysis and prediction using
Geographical Information system (GIS). Different scientists and researchers from all over the
world had performed detailed analysis of flood risk assessment specifically for human
population and to take precautionary measurements before or after the critical condition of
disaster occurs using Remote sensing and satellite images. In this research study, we had
performed detailed analysis of Flood Prediction techniques based on GIS using Ad hoc
wireless Sensor Network Architecture. We had also proposed a Model for Flood Risk Analysis
and prediction, which would be very helpful for us in calculating the impact of Flood damage
in disaster hit regions. The GIS domain proves to be very helpful for us in geographical survey
and to identify the tsunamis causing vast potential and economical damage. In this research
study, we had also used Arc GIS simulation tool to identify pre and post disaster flood risk
analysis. Our Research study focuses on various geographical information Systems
specifically designed for Flood Disaster management and to analyze necessary input
parameters including soil moisture, air pressure, direction of wind, humidity and rain fall.
These parameters would be very helpful for us in modelling real life scenarios specifically in
case of flood disasters. Our proposed model is also very helpful for us in predicting the
upcoming disasters and to take necessary actions by emergency and rescue authorities to save
the life of thousands of people before this critical condition occurs.

2. A Simple Flood Forecasting Scheme Using Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper presents a forecasting model designed using WSNs( Wireless Sensor Networks)
to predict flood in rivers using simple and fast calculations to provide real-time results and
save the lives of people who may be affected by the flood. Our prediction model uses multiple
variable robust linear regression which is easy to understand and simple and cost effective in
implementation, is speed efficient, but has low resource utilization and yet provides real time
predictions with reliable accuracy, thus having features which are desirable in any real world

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algorithm. Our prediction model is independent of the number of parameters, i.e. any number
of parameters may be added or removed based on the on-site requirements. When the water
level rises, we represent it using a polynomial whose nature is used to determine if the water
level may exceed the flood line in the near future. We compare our work with a contemporary
algorithm to demonstrate our improvements over it. Then we present our simulation results for
the predicted water level compared to the actual water level.

3. Design of early warning flood detection systems for developing countries

In developing countries, flooding due to natural disasters such as hurricanes and
earthquakes results in massive loss of life and property. Warning communities of the incoming
flood provides an effective solution to this by giving people sufficient time to evacuate and
protect their property. However, the range of early warning system solutions introduces a
tangle of conflicting requirements including cost and reliability, and creates several interesting
problems from factors as diverse as technological, social, and political. The complexity of
these systems and need for autonomy within the context of a developing country while
remaining maintainable and accessible by non-technical personnel provides a challenge not
often solved within developed countries, much less the developing. After describing this
problem, the paper discusses a proposed solution for the problem, initial experiments in
implementing the solution, and lessons learned through that work.

4. Model-Based Monitoring for Early Warning Flood Detection

Predictive environmental sensor networks provide complex engineering and systems

challenges. These systems must withstand the event of interest, remain functional over long
time periods when no events occur, cover large geographical regions of interest to the event,
and support the variety of sensor types needed to detect the phenomenon. Prediction of the
phenomenon on the network complicates the system further, requiring additional computation
on the microcontrollers and utilizing prediction models that are not typically designed for
sensor networks. This paper describes a system architecture and deployment to meet the design
requirements and to allow model-driven control, thereby optimizing the prediction capability
of the system. We explore the application of river flood prediction using this architecture,
describing our work on a centralized form of the prediction model, network implementation,

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component testing and infrastructure development in Honduras, deployment on a river in

Massachusetts, and results of the field experiments. Our system uses only a small number of
nodes to cover basins of 1000-10000 km2 using an unique heterogeneous communication
structure to provide real-time sensed data, incorporating self-monitoring for failure, and
adapting measurement schedules to capture events of interest.

5. An Intelligent and Adaptable Grid-based Flood Monitoring and Warning System

Flooding is a growing problem in the UK. It has a significant effect on residents, businesses
and commuters in flood-prone areas. The cost of damage caused by flooding correlates closely
with the warning time given before a flood event, and this makes flood monitoring and
prediction critical to minimizing the cost of flood damage. This paper describes a wireless
sensor network for flood warning which is not only capable of integrating with remote fixed-
network grids for computationally-intensive flood modeling purposes, but is also capable of
performing on-site flood modeling by organizing itself as a ‘local grid’. The combination of
these two modes of grid computation—local and remote—yields significant benefits. For
example, local computation can be used to provide timely warnings to local stakeholders, and
a combination of local and remote computation can inform adaptation of the sensor network
to maintain optimal performance in changing environmental conditions.

6. Cascading model uncertainty from medium range weather forecasts (10 days)
through a rainfall-runoff model to flood inundation predictions within the European
Flood Forecasting System (EFFS)

The political pressure on the scientific community to provide medium to long term flood
forecasts has increased in the light of recent flooding events in Europe. Such demands can be
met by a system consisting of three different model components (weather forecast, rainfall–
runoff forecast and flood inundation forecast) which are all liable to considerable uncertainty
in the input, output and model parameters. Thus, an understanding of cascaded uncertainties is
a necessary requirement to provide robust predictions. In this paper, 10-day ahead rainfall
forecasts, consisting of one deterministic, one control and 50 ensemble forecasts, are fed into
a rainfall–runoff model (LisFlood) for which parameter uncertainty is represented by six
different parameter sets identified through a Generalised Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation

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(GLUE) analysis and functional hydrograph classification. The runoff of these 52 * 6

realizations form the input to a flood inundation model (LisFlood-FP) which acknowledges
uncertainty by utilizing ten different sets of roughness coefficients identified using the same
GLUE methodology. Likelihood measures for each parameter set computed on historical data
are used to give uncertain predictions of flow hydrographs as well as spatial inundation extent.
This analysis demonstrates that a full uncertainty analysis of such an integrated system is
limited mainly by computer power as well as by how well the rainfall predictions represent
potential future conditions. However, these restrictions may be overcome or lessened in the
future and this paper establishes a computationally feasible methodological approach to the
uncertainty cascade problem.

7. River gauging using PIV techniques:

A proof of concept experiment on the Iowa River An image-based approach for discharge
measurements is evaluated for river gauging in an experiment on the Iowa River at Iowa City,
Iowa. Over a twenty-day period, ten discharge measurements were made using the image-
based approach. A ten-minute video recording was made of the river flow for each
measurement. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was used to estimate surface velocities for the
imaged area using naturally occurring foam as a flow tracer. The surface velocities were then
estimated along a surveyed river section, and river discharge was computed using standard
velocity–area methods over a selected cross-section. Several unique aspects of this experiment
were the use of PIV for unseeded flow conditions, and the evaluation of discharge estimates
over a range of flow conditions.

A comparison of the PIV discharge measurements with traditional current meter

measurements, which have been made at the site since 1984, showed that the PIV
measurements were consistent with the observed stage–discharge relationship. Discharge for
the experiment ranged from 50 to 300 m3s−1, which covers a large portion of the existing rating
curve. The experimental results suggest that image-based approach may be a reliable way of
establishing a stage–discharge relationship at a site, perhaps even remotely, by making
repeated measurement with a camera mounted at the site. Still, there are inherent limitations
with the approach. These limitations include the need for recognizable tracer particles or flow

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patterns to detect motion, problems associated with shadows and reflections on the water
surface, as well as the common the problem for all discharge measurement of the need for
survey information on the channel cross-section.

8. GridStix: Supporting Flood Prediction using Embedded Hardware and Next

Generation Grid Middleware.

The cost of damage caused by flooding is directly related to the warning-time given before
a flood occurs. Therefore, improving the coverage, accuracy and reliability of flood prediction
systems is of great importance. This paper proposes a novel Grid-based approach to supporting
flood prediction through the use of embedded sensor nodes equipped with wireless networking
technology. These nodes implement a light-weight Grid capable of collecting and transmitting
data gathered by flood sensors for off-site analysis. Additionally, the nodes are capable of
performing basic on-site analysis that is used to inform system behavior. The proposed system
utilizes Lancaster's next-generation component- based Grid middleware platform 'GridKit',
which offers inherent support for reconfiguration, embedded devices and heterogeneous
network technologies, making it ideally suited to this application.

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9. Open Overlay Support for the Divergent Grid

The divergent Grid is characterized by heterogeneity. Applications will operate across

different types of end-systems (e.g. from resource light sensor motes to supercomputers) that
are interconnected by a wide range of network types. Furthermore, these applications will
require middleware functionality beyond the traditional “interaction paradigms” of RPC and
message passing. For example, we are exploring both a wildfire and environmental informatics
scenario that involve device communication better supported by: publish-subscribe, group
multicast, tuple spaces and other interaction types. In this paper, we propose a middleware
approach to meeting these emerging needs; this approach is based upon two fundamental
properties: i) a set of extensible interaction types are underpinned by purpose built overlay
network implementations, and ii) the middleware is structured using a lightweight run-time
component model that enables appropriate profiles to be configured on a wide range of device
types, and facilitates run-time reconfiguration (as required for reasons of adaptation to dynamic
environments).

10. Comments on generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation

The paper presents an application of the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation
methodology to the problem of estimating the uncertainty of predictions produced by
environmental models. The methodology is placed in a wider context of different approaches
to inverse modelling and, in particular, a comparison is made with Bayesian estimation
techniques based on explicit structural assumptions about model error. Using a simple example
of a rainfall-flow model, different evaluation measures and their influence on the prediction
uncertainty and credibility intervals are demonstrated.

11. Data assimilation and adaptive forecasting of water levels in the river Severn
catchment

This paper describes data assimilation (DA) and adaptive forecasting techniquesfor flood
forecasting and their application to forecasting water levels at various locations along a 120
km reach of the river Severn, United Kingdom. The methodology exploits the top-down, data-
based mechanistic (DBM) approach to the modeling of environmental processes, concentrating

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on the identification and estimation of those ‘‘dominant modes’’ of dynamic behavior that are
most important for flood prediction. In particular, hydrological processes active in the
catchment are modeled using the state-dependent parameter (SDP) method of estimating a
nonlinear, effective rainfall transformation together with a linear stochastic transfer function
(STF) method for characterizing both the effective rainfall– river level behavior and the river
level routing processes. The complete model consists of these lumped parameter, linear and
nonlinear stochastic, dynamic elements connected in a quasi-distributed manner that represents
the physical structure of the catchment. The adaptive forecasting system then utilizes a state-
space form of the complete catchment model, including allowance for heteroscedasticity in the
errors, as the basis for data assimilation and forecasting using a Kalman filter forecasting
engine. Here the predicted model states (water levels) and adaptive parameters are updated
recursively in response to input data received in real time from sensors in the catchment. Direct
water level forecasting is considered, rather than flow, because this removes the need to
transform the level measurement through the rating curve and tends to decrease the forecasting
errors.

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5. BLOCK DIAGRAM

POWER
GSM

WATER LEVEL
LCD
SENSOR

LDR SENSOR
PIC16F877A BUZZER

TEMPERATURE

SENSOR RELAY

DRIVER

MOTOR
ESP8266

Iot Software

thingspeak analatic

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6. Flowchart START

INITIALIZE THE SENSOR &CONTROLLER

COLLECT THE DATA FROM THE SENSOR

WATER LEVEL
LDR TEMPRATURE
SENSOR
SENSOR SENSOR

CONTROLLER
PIC16F877A

UPLOAD THE VALUE

TO ESP8266

NO
IF WATER
LEVEL is High

MOTOR
ALARM
ON

DISPLAY

EVERY 4 DATA’S ARE UPLOAD

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7. Hardware Requirements:

 PIC Microcontroller
 Temperature sensor
 Water level sensor
 LDR sensor
 GSM
 LCD
 Buzzer
 Relay
 Motor
 IOT for Esp866

8. Software Requirements:
1. Embedded C
2. MPLAB
3. Analytics using Machine Learning

In this project PIC microcontroller is the heart of the project, located at the centre of the
block diagram and controls all the operations of the system. An LCD is used to display all the
operations going on inside the microcontroller For the weather monitoring wireless sensors are
used to measure various parameters like Temperature sensor , Water level , LDR sensor. All
sensors are connected on the microcontroller and the status of the sensors is sent to the control
section periodically every 3 minutes. The data transmission is done by wireless communication
GSM. The received data is updated on to Android application. The parameter values can be
updated on internet or can be displayed locally. These parameters can be used as inputs to certain
mathematical models to predict about the possibility of floods. This information can also be
clubbed with a sensor node which reads the data like water level and water speed etc at a particular
distance away from the barrage or a reservoir, river or any water source to be more accurate about
the result of prediction.

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9. EXISTING SYSTEM
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have become an integral part of weather monitoring
applications in a wide range of domains such as environmental monitoring, health-care, asset
monitoring modern warfare scenarios, industrial and production monitoring. The available
applications provide services to these domains on an hourly basis and are highly accurate. With
the exploration and advancement in the field of Internet of Things (IoT), the focal point has shifted
towards the interoperability of WSNs and a cloud based central data repository which collaborates
and comprehends a uniquely identifiable internet like structure. This bottom up internet-like
structure has paved the way for a Sensor Integrated Cloud based architecture PARASENSE. This
provides a detailed run down on the PARASENSE architecture which integrates WSN with
Internet of Things. Using the PARASENSE architecture, a set of real time applications can be
deployed, some of them are illustrated in this paper.

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10. PROPOSED SYSTEM

The main role of an early warning system is to enable people and authorities to save lives
and goods when a disaster occurs. For example, in case of floods, a warning released with enough
time before the event will allow the reservoir workers to boil down water levels gradually, hospitals
to be prepared to receive a large number of patients, people to fortify their homes and last, but not
least, authorities to provide help. The paper proposes a software workbench for time critical,
interactive and self-adaptive cloud applications for disaster early warning using IOT , including
live event broadcasting, and collaborative communication. Flood is a phenomenon by which the
living and non-living entities that belong to the environment suffers various losses. Human beings
cannot totally avoid floods but the only thing humans can do is, they can develop suitable systems
to predict & subsequent measures to alert the people about its occurrence. There are many
technologies available to predict and prevent. There are many natural disasters that lead to floods.
Some of them are heavy rains and tropical cyclones. These floods cause materialistic and human
damage. The main reason behind development of flood alert system is the intimation of flood well
in advance so that human losses can be controlled by evacuation of people to safe places and also
protects valuable properties. Here we have taken WSN and IOT technology with these concept.
The PIC16f877a microcontroller has help to control the type of sensors like.., water level,
Temperature, and LDR sensor. All sensors are connected on the microcontroller and the status of
the sensors is sent to the control section periodically every 3 minutes. Esp866 has the control web
server to update the information in data base. These are wireless networking to monitor due to the
GSM technology. The data transmission is done by wireless communication GSM. If the case of
abnormal weather like high temperature increase instantly warning alarming and the display to
situation.

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11. REFERENCES

1. Sultanullah Jadoon, Salman Faiz Solehria, Mubashir Qayum1. A Proposed Least Cost
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2. Ivan Stoianov, Lama Nachman, Sam Madden. PIPENET: A Wireless Sensor Network for
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3. Lívia C. Degrossi, Guilherme G. do Amaral, Eduardo S. M. de Vasconcelos, João P. de

Albuquerque, Jó Ueyama.Using Wireless Sensor Networks in the Sensor Web for Flood
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Fluid Mechanics.Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited, Second edition 2004.

5. K.C. Patra. Hydrology & Water resources Engineering. 2 edition .Alpha Science Intl Ltd
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6. Ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism (MLIT), http://www.river.go.jp/,

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7. Tomioka, H. "Maintaining Communications Capabilities during Major Natural Disasters

and other Emergency Situations” Ministry of internal affairs and communications, Japan,
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8. She, H. “Network-Calculus-based Performance Analysis for Wireless Sensor Networks”.

Ph.D Diss. of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2009.

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