Case Study: Flood Mapping in Hours
How does a satellite-based flood product work from storm to insurer, and why is it one of EO's clearest commercial successes?
Chapter summary
During a major flood, clouds block optical satellites, but SAR sees the water surface, which reflects radar away from the satellite and appears dark.
Key takeaways
- 1
An operator with a large SAR fleet can image the affected area within hours, model flood extent and depth by combining radar with terrain data, and deliver maps to insurers, governments and emergency services the same day.
- 2
Insurers use them to estimate losses, prioritise claims and detect fraud; governments use them to direct rescue.
- 3
ICEYE built a significant business on this; free Sentinel-1 data supports a slower version through the Copernicus Emergency Management Service.
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