This day/night-band images of Hurricane Ida was captured by the VIIRS instrument onboard the NASA/NOAA Suomi-NPP satellite early the early morning of Aug. 30, 2021. Day/night-band imagery is useful for identifying nighttime lights from cities and can be used to monitor for loss of light which may indicate power blackouts in the wake of a catastrophe. Credit: NASA
In 2021, Hurricane Ida left over 1 million people without power, tornadoes tore throughout the American Midwest, volcanoes required individuals to leave their houses, wildfires covered the American West and unusual flooding ruined Central Europe.
Some attributes of natural dangers, such as wildfires, floods and cyclones, have been historically foreseeable and have notified catastrophe preparation. With human emissions of greenhouse gases increasing Earths temperature, were seeing changes in those characteristics: wildfire and drought seasons are lengthening, rainfall and cyclones are ending up being more extreme, and coastal flooding is increasing.
By sponsoring application science and promoting global and domestic collaborations, the NASA Disasters program seeks to utilize its Earth observation information to allow disaster-resilient neighborhoods in a changing environment.
For information on how the NASA Disasters program supports risk response, healing and reduction, go to Remembering 2021s Disasters.
By NASA
January 3, 2022
