It may be made out of PVC pipes and resemble something from outer space, yet the unassuming piece of equipment is highly effective and will be used to save lives in more ways than one.
Aptly named “George”, the device, which was created by a group of St John’s College students as part of their Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) project, monitors rainfall and floodwaters, sending real-time updates by text message to a mobile phone.
“The increase in adverse weather events made us think of how we can help,” joint-CEO, Brad Selwood said. This, spurred on by the flash flooding in Eskdale earlier this year and the effect it had on one of their friends, named George, set their idea in stone.
Photo: St John’s College students Rhyva van Onselen (left), Ben Gardiner, Kadyn Newport, Brad Selwood, Shea McDonald pictured with “George”, a rain and flood warning device. Photo/Duncan Brown For more on this and other great Hawke’s Bay stories go to hawkesbaytoday.co.nz Posted: 13 August 2018