Remnants of Hurricane Irene caused heavy flooding, as shown in this August 31 Landsat 5 image, in the hamlet of Pine Island in the town of Warwick (Orange County), New York. Sometimes called “the drowned lands” (long before Irene), the fertile black dirt region is the remains of a great shallow lake formed by receding glaciers. 

A national overview map of streamflow provided by USGS WaterWatch graphically portrays the intense flooding that followed Irene’s track north through New England. 

Monitoring both floods and droughts, the USGS WaterWatch internet site displays maps, graphs, and tables that describe current and past streamflow conditions for the United States. The real-time streamflow data is generally updated on an hourly basis. 

Landsat is a joint effort of both USGS and NASA. USGS conducts Landsat operations and NASA develops and launches new satellites that meet USGS requirements. In addition to imagery of natural hazard events, Landsat provides valuable data for land use research. 

USGS Response to Hurricane Irene Flooding