Flash floods swept away roadways and entire areas, displacing around 40,000 individuals throughout the country. Preliminary price quotes by the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) show that about 10,000 structures were harmed by floodwater, although assessment of the damage was still continuous as of September 22. Infrastructure damage caused power interruptions, which can be seen in satellite images gotten during the night.
Satellite map of light produced from Libya on September 8, 2023– before the storm.
Satellite map of light emitted from Libya on September 13, 2023– after the storm.
The maps above show the quantity of light emitted from affected neighborhoods in northeastern Libya before and after the storm and the peak of the torrential flooding. The upper map reveals the location on September 8, 2023; the lower map shows the very same area on September 13, three days after the storm made landfall.
” There was a considerable loss of power obvious in the vicinity of Derna and Al Bayda in the September 13 image when compared to the baseline image,” stated Ranjay Shrestha of NASAs Black Marble science team. The maps come from the Black Marble HD item, offered by Shrestha and Zhuosen Wang, a primary investigator on the science group, and are based on information from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor on the NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite. The basemap was developed from information collected by Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 satellites.
Derna was devastated by the storm. Flooding in the city caused the collapse of two dams along a generally dry riverbed, or wadi. The dam failures unleashed 3- to 7-meter-high floodwater that tore through the city, sweeping roadways and buildings out to sea.
The city ended up being substantially darker after the storm hit. In a current report, UNOSAT documented modifications in Dernas brightness. UNOSAT utilizes Black Marble nighttime light items to support ground groups in disaster response.
Satellite map of light emitted from Derna Libya on September 8, 13, and 18, 2023.
Some neighborhoods near Derna went 4 days without electricity, according to NPR reporting. By September 18, 2023, the brightness of outdoor lighting in Derna was approaching pre-storm levels. “Theres a lot more healing compared to the September 13 image,” stated Shrestha. “However, there are still pockets of locations, especially in the outskirts of the Al Bayda location, where healing seems ongoing.”
Raw, unprocessed pictures of night lights can be deceptive because moonlight, clouds, air pollution, snow cover, seasonal vegetation, and even the position of the satellite, can alter how light is reflected. The Black Marble science team processes the data to represent these factors.
NASA Earth Observatory images by Wanmei Liang, utilizing Black Marble information thanks to Ranjay Shrestha and Zhuosen Wang/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from OpenStreetMap.
Preliminary price quotes by the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) indicate that about 10,000 buildings were harmed by floodwater, although evaluation of the damage was still continuous as of September 22. Facilities damage led to power blackouts, which can be seen in satellite images obtained at night.
” There was a significant loss of power evident in the area of Derna and Al Bayda in the September 13 image when compared to the baseline image,” said Ranjay Shrestha of NASAs Black Marble science team. By September 18, 2023, the brightness of outdoor lighting in Derna was approaching pre-storm levels. “Theres a lot more healing compared to the September 13 image,” stated Shrestha.
A serious medicane in September 2023 caused comprehensive flooding and displacement in northeastern Libya. Satellite images post-disaster revealed widespread power outages, especially in Derna and Al Bayda, with continuous recovery efforts.
Cities and towns darkened after a cyclone released torrential flooding along the nations coast.
On September 10, 2023, an effective storm brought heavy rain to northeastern Libya, causing considerable death and destruction to cities along the coast. Information from satellites reveal that after the storm, numerous communities in the region had lost electric power.
The storm– a Mediterranean hurricane-like system understood as a medicane– brought 414 millimeters (16 inches) of rain to the city of Al Bayda. Close by, the port city of Derna received more than 100 millimeters (4 inches)– far going beyond the citys typical month-to-month rainfall for September of less than 1.5 millimeters (0.1 inches).
