Flooding in Ningming, China by Typhoon Rammasun

Floodwaters caused by Typhoon Rammasun started to recede in northern Vietnam and southern China, but not before causing widespread flooding in cities and villages, triggering landslides and collapsed buildings in addition to the flooding. This ASTER image of Ningming, China shows sediment-laden river water and the flooded areas of the city in brown. The image was acquired July 24, 2014, covers an area of 9.4 by 13.8 kilometers, and is located at 22.1 degrees north, 107.1 degrees east.

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Note: For more information, see PIA18628: NASA Spacecraft Eyes China Flooding.

Paraná River Flooding

Map of flood extent on the Paraná River in northern Argentina near the border with Paraguay. Water bodies and surrounding wetland areas observed by the German TerraSAR-X satellite on 11 June 2008 are colored blue, while recently flooded areas imaged by Sentinel-1A on 15 June 2014 appear in red.

This map was produced following an activation of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. More information.

The radar on Sentinel-1 is able to ‘see’ through clouds, rain and in darkness, making it particularly useful for monitoring floods. Images acquired before and after a flood offer immediate information on the extent of inundation and support assessments of property and environmental damage.

Image credit: ESA/DLR/CAEARTE/CONAE ML

Flooding in Serbia

In May 2014, historic floods inundated Serbia and neighboring countries, causing major population displacements and property destruction. Several weeks after massive flood waters have mostly receded west of Belgrade, Serbia, the ground remains saturated and uninhabitable. In this satellite image, acquired June 8, 2014 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft, wet ground and rivers are highlighted in red. Identification was based on colder temperatures seen in the thermal infrared bands. The image covers an area of 35 by 21 miles (57 by 34.5 kilometers), and is located at 44.7 degrees north, 20.1 degrees east.

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Flooding in the Balkans

Sentinel-1A scan from 24 May 2014 over parts of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The area used for the flood delineation mapping under the Copernicus Emergency Management Service is indicated in the red box. Read full article.

Image credit: ESA

Note: For more information, see Flood Map.

Flooding from the Zambezi River in Namibia

Acquired on 13 April 2014 at 03:50 GMT (05:50 CEST) by Sentinel-1A, this image shows the extent of flooding in the Caprivi plain from the Zambezi River in Namibia. Sentinel-1A acquired this image in its main ‘Interferometric Wide Swath’ mode with a swath width of 250 km and in dual polarization. Victoria Falls is also featured in the image, further east along the Zambezi River. The image was downloaded two hours after acquisition and the resulting products were available in less than an hour. Such images can be taken in adverse weather conditions and during the dark, demonstrating the value of Sentinel-1’s radar vision.

Image credit: ESA

Flooding in Bolivia

Extremely heavy seasonal rains have fallen on northern Bolivia since October 2013. Resulting floods have affected as many as 150,000 inhabitants, and threatened around 100,000 head of cattle. The worst affected province is Beni in the northeastern part of the country. In this image, acquired February 25, 2014, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft, vegetation is red, clouds are white, and flooded areas are grey-brown. The image covers an area of 21 by 22 miles (34 by 35 kilometers) and is located near 14 degrees south, 66.5 degrees west.

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Rapid Mapping of European Floods

Floods across central Europe caused widespread damage in 2013. Maps based on satellite data can help emergency services plan their response to such events. Through the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, 118 maps were produced to assist in flood relief.

Video credit: ESA/DLR

Note: For more information, see Flood Mapping Highlight.

Flooding on the Thames River

On February 17, 2014, the United Kingdom Environment Agency had issued flood warnings for the area from Walton-on-Thames in the east to Reading in the west, as depicted in this image acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft on February 16, 2014. High water levels and flooding along the Thames River west of London were part of a larger picture of devastation throughout southwest England and Wales, as record-breaking rains covered the United Kingdom in January and February. In this image, vegetation is red; clouds are white and their shadows are black; the Thames River flows across the image in dark cyan color. The image covers an area of 17.7 by 28.5 miles (28.5 by 46 kilometers), and is located near 51.5 degrees north, 0.7 degrees west.

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Flooding in Sardinia

In mid-November 2013, extratropical cyclone Cleopatra brought devastating flooding to the Italian island of Sardinia that has claimed at least 18 lives and led to the declaration of a state of emergency for the island. To assist in the disaster response efforts, scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency and Università degli studi della Basilicata, generated this preliminary version of a flood proxy map for inundated regions in Sardinia.

Areas of strong blue on the map are regions that have likely experienced flooding. The blue color represents a decrease of radar signal echo on November 18, 2013 compared to data from October 17, 2013. The decreased radar signal echo is likely to have been caused by water covering land (water has a smooth surface, which results in a weaker echo signal, while land has a rough surface and stronger echo). Flat regions that are colored dark blue can be interpreted as likely flooded regions, but other areas need further analysis before interpreting. Some distortion in the geolocation of this preliminary product is present in areas of high relief.

The approximately 5 by 12 miles (8 by 20 kilometers) map covers the region marked by the red rectangular box in the larger, 137 mile (220 kilometer) long overview image of Sardinia shown above processed by JPL's Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team using X-band interferometric synthetic aperture radar data from the Italian Space Agency's COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation. The technique uses a prototype algorithm to rapidly detect surface changes caused by natural or human-produced damage. It was processed as part of a joint collaboration between JPL, Caltech, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) Centro Interpretazione Dati di Osservazione della Terra (CIDOT) and the Università degli studi della Basilicata. Image processing was implemented using the JPL Interometric Synthetic Aperture Radar Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE) software package, and the amplitude images were registered to the NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Plus digital elevation model with a resolution of 1 arc second. Individual pixel size of the flood map is about 98 feet (30 meters) across.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI

Flooding Along the Parana River

Heavy rains, which began in mid-June, have resulted in major flooding along the Parana River in Argentina. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes in cities along the river. The neighboring countries of Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil have also been affected. Vegetated areas are shown in shades of red; the river and flooded areas are blue and turquoise; clouds are white and light blue. This image from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument, acquired on July 6, 2013, covers an area of 54 by 28.5 kilometers (33.5 by 17.7 miles), and is located at 28.2 degrees south latitude, 59.1 degrees west longitude.

Image credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Severe Flooding in La Plata, Argentina

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft captured this view of severe flooding in La Plata, Argentina, on April 4, 2013. Torrential rains and record flash flooding has killed more than 50 and left thousands homeless, according to news reports. La Plata is located 20 miles (50 kilometers) from Buenos Aires. In the image, flooded areas east and west of the city appear in dark blue. A heavy sediment load gives the Rio Plata its yellow-brown color. The image covers an area of 15.8 by 16.7 miles (25.5 by 27 kilometers) and is located at 34.8 degrees south latitude, 58 degrees west longitude.

Photo credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Napo River in Ecuador and Peru

On March 17, 2013, NASA’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) acquired synthetic aperture radar data over the Napo River in Ecuador and Peru. The image colors indicate the likelihood of inundation (flooding) beneath the forest canopy, which is difficult to determine using traditional optical sensors. Red and yellow shades indicate a high likelihood of standing water with emergent vegetation, blue and green shades are areas less likely to be inundated, and black indicates the open water areas of the Napo River. These data, which have already been transmitted to a field team working along the Napo River, will be used to guide field measurements during a second observation by UAVSAR on March 31, 2013. The image is a 8.7-mile-wide by 5.6-mile-long (14-kilometer-wide by 9-kilometer-long) segment of an image measuring more than 124 miles (200 kilometers) long. North is toward the upper right. The resolution is 20 feet (6 meters). UAVSAR data like these are helping scientists assess the effectiveness of using synthetic aperture radar data to study the inundation dynamics of this and similar rivers around the world.

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Note: For more information, see NASA Flies Radar South on Wide-Ranging Expedition; also, PIA16942: NASA Sends Unmanned Aircraft To Study Volcanoes and Wetlands.

Disaster Management from Space

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Floods are usually accompanied by cloudy skies making it difficult to monitor them from space. Using radar technology, the new GMES Sentinel-1 satellite is able to 'see' through clouds and rainfall to map emergency-stricken regions.

Video credit: ESA/DLR

Venice Land Subsidence

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Venice has been subject to floodings for hundreds of years and the problem is increasing due to sea level rise and a constant subsidence of the city.

Radar data - like it will be delivered from the first GMES satellite - are providing the means for a continuous monitoring of ground movement with an accuracy of a few millimeters per year.

Video credit: ESA/DLR

Flooding in Fiji

Fiji was hard hit by heavy rains in early 2012, causing flooding and landslides. Hardest hit was the western part of the main island of Viti Levu, Fiji, and the principal city of Nadi. Thousands of people were displaced and the Disaster Management Office declared a state of emergency. In this simulated natural color image acquired by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft on April 7, 2012, the muddy overflowing Nadi River and its tributaries are seen winding through the city of Nadi. The image covers an area of 10.7 by 12.5 miles (17.3 by 20.1 kilometers), and is located at 17.6 degrees south latitude, 177.7 degrees east longitude.

Photo credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team

Flooding in Algeria

Extremely heavy rains fell at the end of February 2012 in the northern Algerian province of El Tarf, near the Tunisian border. The rainfall total was the greatest recorded in the last 30 years. The Seybouse River overflowed its banks, submerging adjacent villages. Overflow from the Bougous, Mexa and Cheffia dams added to the misery. In this image from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft, acquired March 1, 2012, vegetation is shown in red and water is depicted as black to turquoise, depending on how much sediment it contains. The image is located at 36.7 degrees north latitude and 8.3 degrees east longitude. It covers an area of 22 by 37.2 miles (34 by 60 kilometers).

With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18, 1999, on Terra. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Photo credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team