NASA Deploys Aircraft to Assist in Texas Flooding Recovery

Strategic Insights -

In response to recent flooding near Kerrville, Texas, NASA has deployed two aircraft to assist state and local authorities in ongoing recovery operations. The agency's Disasters Response Coordination System is working closely with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and humanitarian groups Save the Children and GiveDirectly to support emergency response efforts. The high-altitude WB-57 aircraft is equipped with the DyNAMITE sensor, which is providing high-resolution imagery critical to assessing damage and supporting coordination of ground-based recovery efforts. The Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) is also flying out of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, to collect observations over the affected river basins.

Key Takeaways:

  • NASA has deployed two aircraft to assist in Texas flooding recovery operations, including a high-altitude WB-57 aircraft equipped with the DyNAMITE sensor.
  • The DyNAMITE sensor provides high-resolution imagery critical to assessing damage and supporting coordination of ground-based recovery efforts.
  • The Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) is flying out of NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, to collect observations over the affected river basins.
  • NASA's Disasters Response Coordination System is working closely with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and humanitarian groups Save the Children and GiveDirectly to support emergency response efforts.
  • The UAVSAR team is planning to collect observations over the Guadalupe, San Gabriel, and Colorado river basins on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
  • Imagery collected will be sent to NASA's Disaster Response Coordination System to inform search and rescue efforts and aid decision-making and resource allocation.

Statistics:

  • 2 aircraft have been deployed by NASA to assist in Texas flooding recovery operations (1 high-altitude WB-57 aircraft and 1 Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) aircraft).
  • 3 river basins are being surveyed by the UAVSAR: Guadalupe, San Gabriel, and Colorado.
  • 3 days are scheduled for UAVSAR observations: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
  • NASA's Disasters Response Coordination System is working closely with 4 organizations: Texas Division of Emergency Management, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Save the Children, and GiveDirectly.

Sources:

  • NASA's press release, published on July 8 (no date provided).
  • Texas Division of Emergency Management (no date provided).
  • Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (no date provided).
  • Save the Children (no date provided).
  • GiveDirectly (no date provided).