Monitoring and control of spring floods propagation on the Russian rivers has been conducted by ScanEx’s specialists with the help of operational satellite data. Space data application enables to assess the scope of disaster, to get real-time forecast with respect to flooding areas, to assess damage incurred and to detect flood-hazardous areas. Specialists of ScanEx RDC do processing and analysis of satellite images and promptly submit the data to the National Center for Crisis Management of the Russian EMERCOM.
Operational satellite-based monitoring is ensured by the following:
Satellite-based monitoring of Russian rivers starts in autumn-winter period, when the ice cover takes shape, including fast ice. Such an early-bird satellite imagery is required to forecast serious spring ice blocks. Main stages of ice drifting are detected during the s spring time satellite monitoring: ice movements, ice drifting and clearing from ice.
A series of multi-temporal images is studied during monitoring, which show the dynamics of rivers breakup and flooding progress, including detection of ice blocks and water level rise. Satellite images analysis helps detect the areas mostly exposed to floods, verify the river breakup periods through different Russian regions, which allows getting a general picture about the flooding situation in the country, forecasting emergencies, giving recommendations on emergency response.
In 2013 high and very high resolution optical and radar images of six different satellites, received by the network of ground stations in Russia, formed the basis of such monitoring.
According to the April 22 report of the EMERCOM Main Department, 332 houses were inundated on the territory of the Russian Federation in Siberian, Volga, North-Western and Central Federal Districts covering the area of 16 federal constituents and 57 residential areas.
Thus, for example, the detailed satellite SPOT 5 and EROS B images, received and processed by ScanEx RDC specialists on April 18 and 21, 2013 respectively, show areas flooded with water in the town of Bryansk.
More high flood levels are forecasted with possible inundation of dwelling houses and gardens in 3 federal constituents of the Volga Federal District, 5 constituents of the Central Federal District and 2 constituents of the North-Western Federal District.
