Flooding near on the banks of the Mississippi River, near Vicksburg, Mississippi, captured on March 14, 2016. Image ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

From the Firehose: Dramatic Flooding in the South

A slow moving storm last week has led to severe flooding in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. While the storm has passed, the nearly 24 inches of rainfall is now moving south through the region’s rivers and streams toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Flooding is often a difficult event to document with earth-imaging satellites. The clouds that bring rainfall often linger in the aftermath of a storm when the flooding is at its worst.

This morning, March 14th, our firehouse spouted out a strip of imagery of northern Louisiana, capturing a flood plain just outside the small town of Oak Grove. Our images show the Boeuf River swollen and surrounding area — including farms and homes — severely flooded.

Flooding outside of Oak Grove, Louisiana following a slow moving storm that moved through the South and dropped nearly two feet of rain. Images ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

Severe weather events cause billions in damage every year in the United States. Documenting and measuring these events is important for disaster recovery, and is vital for preventative efforts to better plan for future disasters.