Data in Action: OPERA: Mapping Flood Waters in the Face of the Storm

[colleen]

On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area of the Florida Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm, causing coastal flooding from 15 feet of storm surge. Coastal and inland flood records were broken; for example, in Tampa Bay, one gauge recorded a water surge 7 feet above the normal high tide, with all of the area’s gauges breaking the recent local records.

When natural disasters occur, the NASA Disaster Response Coordination System (DRCS) works to deliver data to stakeholders that can be used to guide decision-making. At NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) and Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing (OPERA) projects frequently work with the DRCS to provide remote sensing imagery to support the disaster response efforts. OPERA systematically produces a suite of analysis-ready surface water extent data products that are useful for ....

To read entire story, please visit:
https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/DataAction-2024-11-08-OPERA-Mapping-Flood-Waters-in-the-Face-of-the-Storm