Images from Above: Katrina, Haiti and the Gulf of Mexico

After a major disaster, a satellite image or aerial photo is often the most immediate way to determine the scope and severity of the event. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., operates the Hazard Data Distribution System, which acquires and delivers satellite and aerial imagery in near-real time during natural or human-caused disasters. After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, Landsat satellite images showed when and where the floodwaters drained. High resolution satellite imagery showed the landscape and building damage before and after the magnitude 7 earthquake hit Haiti in the beginning of 2010. More recently, the USGS obtained satellite imagery from the International Charter to help assess the scope of the oil spill in the Gulf. This imagery is available to all U.S. emergency management officials at the federal, state and local levels. For more information, contact Brenda Jones at bkjones@usgs.gov