The Value of Near Real-Time Earth Observations for Improved Flood Disaster Response

Abstract

Information is a critical resource in disaster response scenarios. Data regarding the geographic extent, severity, and socioeconomic impacts of a disaster event can help guide emergency responders and relief operations, particularly when delivered within hours of data acquisition. Information from remote observations provides a valuable tool for assessing conditions "on the ground" more quickly and efficiently. Here, we evaluate the social value of a near real-time flood impact system using a disaster response case study, and quantify the Value of Information (VOI) of satellite-based observations for rapid response using a hypothetical flooding disaster in Bangkok, Thailand. MODIS imagery from NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) system is used to produce operational estimates of inundation depths and economic damages. These rapid Earth observations are coupled with a decision-analytical model to inform decisions on emergency vehicle routing. Emergency response times from vehicles routed using flood damage data are compared with baseline routes without the benefit of advance information on road conditions. Our results illustrate how the application of near real-time Earth observations can improve the response time and reduce potential encounters with flood hazards when compared with baseline routing strategies. Results indicate a potential significant economic benefit (i.e., millions of dollars) from applying near real-time Earth observations for improved flood disaster response and management.

Health sector’s flood response plan: A comprehensive review

“…Nature of hazard: The factors related to the nature of the hazard in this comprehensive review include depth of flood (16), distance to the river, scope and duration (17), types of floods (17)(18)(19)(20), and causes of floods (21) (Table 2).…”

“…Primary health care system dysfunction (17,31,35,39,47,54) Loss of paper-based medical records and inaccessibility of electronic medical records and laboratory information systems (29)/hospital functions affected by water supply issues, including the recovery of sterile processing for surgical equipment's (29)/hospital disruptions (54)/loss of access to essential care; or loss of access to and failure to obtain continuing health care (35), negative health effects linked with overcrowding (35), inadequacy of professional staff (47) An increase in medication usage Increases in emergency department visits (29), long-term treatment for chronic infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS (31,37) Contamination of floodwaters, and damage to water and sanitation infrastructure (17,29,34) Water shortages and contamination due to loss of water treatment works and sewage treatment plants (35) Birth outcomes By affecting the physical and mental health of pregnant mothers and their ability to access health services, floods may affect the health of newborns (55) and negative health outcomes in children, including behavioral problems and psychiatric disorders (56) a need for coordination (26,27,37,63,(68)(69)(70) between decision makers, first responders, and the community (18). It was also found that flood health impacts are well known (29) but it needs more understanding to incorporate them into the specific response program.…”

Comparing Sentinel-1 Surface Water Mapping Algorithms and Radiometric Terrain Correction Processing in Southeast Asia Utilizing Google Earth Engine

“…Monitoring these variations is critical in monsoonal regions, such as Southeast Asia, where annual variation in rainfall results in hydrologic extremes that affect local communities [1][2][3][4]. As more people are negatively affected by floods in Asia than in any other place in the world, there is a need for increased hydrologic monitoring to guide flood response efforts [5]. Traditionally, ground-based stream gauges are used to monitor water level or streamflow/discharge in major water bodies; however, these observations fail to provide a large scale overview of conditions in regions where stream gauges are sparsely located.…”

“…Even with well-defined methods and readily available data for surface water mapping applications, optical sensors can only be used during the day and are hindered by clouds that obscure surface observations, especially in monsoon-driven environments [23]. Often, peak surface water extent during flood events occur when there is cloud cover, resulting in data gaps limiting the use of optical sensors for flood monitoring applications [5].…”

The Use of Drones in Disaster Aerial Needs Reconnaissance and Damage Assessment – Three-Dimensional Modeling and Orthophoto Map Study

“…They challenge different types of systems with different disaster readiness and society resilience levels. All these factors prove that disaster managers require new solutions to facilitate their efforts [9,[11][12][13][14].…”