The invention advantageously provides an alert system and method for geographic
or natural disasters that utilize a telecommunications network for monitoring geographic
data in disaster-prone areas and accordingly issuing warnings against potential
disasters to people inside the monitored area. An alert system according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention comprises a telecommunications service network, one
or more wireless sensor modules and a control center. The telecommunications network
according to this particular embodiment includes service coverage over the monitored
areas. The wireless sensor modules are installed to selected locations inside monitored
areas. Each of the sensor modules further comprises at least one sensor for collecting
geographic or geodetic data and a wireless communications unit for sending collected
geographic data to the control center via the telecommunications network. The control
center then receives and processes the monitored geographic or geodetic data sent
by the wireless sensor modules for further algorithmic analysis. The control center
accordingly issues alerts for imminent geographic or natural disasters if the processing
of the geographic or geodetic data produces adverse results.
