Satellite Rainfall Information for Flood Preparedness and Response

Abstract

Much of the economic and humanitarian toll from flood events is due to a lack of adequate warning and preparation. Information on current and anticipated rainfall from satellite data represents a source of affordable yet useful information for weather forecasters, emergency planners, and other personnel responsible for responding to flood events. This chapter will describe the current state of estimating and nowcasting rainfall at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), along with plans for the upcoming Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) onboard Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES)-R, which shares many capabilities with the EUMETSAT Spinning Enhanced Visible Infrared Imager (SEVIRI). Examples of these products in actual flood events in Ukraine will be included. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011.