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Satellite images display extreme Mississippi River flooding from space

Posted by Bridget in Space

Recent Landsat satellite data captured by the USGS and NASA on May 10 shows the major flooding of the Mississippi River around Memphis, Tenn. and along the state borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas as seen from 700 km above the Earth.

The flood crest of 14.6m on May 10, is the second highest rise in recent history; the highest being 14.8m in 1937. Five counties surrounding Memphis have been declared disaster areas, and the costs of the flooding are expected to approach US$1 billion (about R7 billion). The Mississippi River crest continues to move south and is expected to occur in the Greenville, Miss. area around 16 May and to crest finally in New Orleans around 23 May.

When natural hazards like flooding occur, USGS provides the most recent Landsat data to local emergency managers.

Landsat 5 image shows the Mississippi River along the state borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas on May 10, 2011. Credit: USGS/NASA

‘Landsat imagery is crucial in helping to monitor the flood rate and effects of the flooding in the region, and to aid in the decision-making process regarding flood control. Decisions such as closing portions of the Mississippi River to shipping and opening flood gates outside of low-lying New Orleans in preparation for the flood wave as it makes its way slowly down the river to the Gulf of Mexico,’ said Mark Anderson, Acting Director of the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Centre.

James Irons, Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) Project Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Md. said, ‘NASA Goddard has managed the development of all the successfully launched Landsat satellites and is currently developing the next Landsat satellite system, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, in partnership with USGS.’ The launch of LDCM is scheduled for December 2012.

Remotely sensed data are not the only science endeavours occurring due to floods. The USGS collects river data through its network of about 7 700 stream gauges around the Nation.

caption: Landsat 5 shows the Mississippi River along the state borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Arkansas on May 12, 2006.

Source: NASA