RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina has received a national award for its innovative use of drones during Hurricane Florence, when the devices were used to take photos and videos of damage and flooding.

The state's Department of Transportation received a top award in the humanitarian category from the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. The award comes with a $5,000 prize, which is being given to the state disaster relief fund.

More than a dozen NCDOT teams flew more than 200 missions, capturing 8,000 photos and videos from the September storm. The information helped state and federal agencies make decisions about emergency responses, detour routes and other issues.

The entry was selected from more than 140 entries worldwide for its use of drones in a way never done on such a large scale.