NASA Satellites Capture Before and After Images of Devastating Flood
More than two weeks of heavy rains have triggered severe flooding throughout the Midwest. Two of the hardest hit areas, Oklahoma and Texas, are pictured here.
The top image shows the area along the Oklahoma-Texas border on July 1, 2007, after heavy rains had inundated the region. The bottom image depicts the same area on June 19, 2007, weeks before the flooding occurred. Instruments on NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites captured these contrasting images.
Image right: These images were created with a combination of visible and infrared light to highlight the presence of water on the ground. In this type of image, water is black, though thick sediment colors the water blue. Credit: MODIS Rapid Response
According to the National Weather Service, on July 1 minor flooding was occurring along the Red River, and moderate to major flooding swamped its tributaries, Deep Red Creek and East Cache Creek, the two rivers flowing into the Red River in the top image.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes and at least 11 deaths have been attributed to the storms and subsequent flooding, according to news reports.
Texas has received some of the worst effects of the storm system, according to the National Weather Service. More than 11 inches of rain were measured in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in June, only about a half-inch shy of the record, set in 1928.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation reports that flood damage has forced them to close several highways across the state as well as halt train service between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas.
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Goddard Space Flight Center