The Role of Remote Sensing in Predicting and Determining Coastal Storm Impacts

Storm-induced flooding and other damage present a major problem as the coastal population continues to increase rapidly and sea level keeps rising. To predict the path and landfall of a hurricane or other coastal storm and assess the damage, emergency managers and scientists need continuous information on the storm's path, strength, predicted landfall, and expected damage over large areas. Satellite and airborne remote sensors can provide the required information in a timely and reliable way, as demonstrated by a case study of hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans and surrounding areas. Satellite images and hurricane hunter planes were used to track hurricane Katrina, with modelers predicting accurately its path, strength, surge level, and landfall location. Shore-based radars were used to confirm the data as the hurricane approached land. Medium- and high-resolution satellite sensors, helicopters, and aircraft were employed to assess damage to the city, including transportation, power, and communication infrastructures, and to adjacent wetlands and other coastal ecosystems. The lessons learned from hurricane Katrina are helping to optimize future approaches for tracking hurricanes and predicting their impact on coastal ecosystems and developed areas.