A devastating flood that hit southern Texas on July 4 resulted in 119 confirmed deaths and left nearly 200 individuals unaccounted for. In response, NASA has deployed two aircraft to aid in local recovery and search efforts.
The WB-57, a high-altitude aircraft, will launch from Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston on Tuesday, equipped with advanced sensors known as dynamite (day/night aerial motion imager for ground environment). These sensors are capable of capturing high-resolution images of several miles along the Guadalupe River and its surroundings, potentially speeding up emergency responses.
This initiative is part of NASA’s disaster response coordination system, which has been activated to support flood responses alongside the Texas Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, and various humanitarian organizations.
Due to the persistent cloud cover that hindered clear satellite imaging, NASA noted that they have coordinated flights with the Aerial Science Program at Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston to gather vital information from the impacted regions.
Authorities mentioned that the gathered data will be vital for rescue teams, helping them allocate resources more effectively.
Additionally, an unmanned aerial vehicle with synthetic aperture radar (UAVSAR), sent from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, is set to operate in the area to capture details about the Guadalupe, San Gabriel, and Colorado River Basins until the weekend.
The UAVSAR can detect water even under vegetation, which could be crucial for identifying flooded zones.
NASA stated that the team’s objective is to assess the flood’s impact and provide insights into community damage. As a part of the disaster response efforts, detailed maps will be created to evaluate the severity of flooding and structural damage, which will eventually be accessible on the NASA Disaster Mapping Portal.
