NASA Deploys High-Altitude Aircraft to Support Texas Flood Response

In the aftermath of the devastating July Fourth floods that tore through south central Texas, killing 119 people and leaving nearly 200 missing, NASA has mobilized aerial assets to assist in ongoing search and rescue and recovery efforts.

NASA’s high-altitude WB-57 aircraft launched from Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston. Equipped with the DyNAMITE (Day/Night Airborne Motion Imager for Terrestrial Environments) sensor, the plane is conducting aerial surveys of the Guadalupe River and surrounding areas. The mission is part of NASA’s Disasters Response Coordination System, which was activated in coordination with the Texas Division of Emergency Management and FEMA.

“Persistent cloud-cover has made it difficult to obtain clear satellite imagery, so the Disasters Program coordinated with NASA’s Airborne Science Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to conduct a series of flights to gather observations of the impacted regions,” the agency said in a statement.

The DyNAMITE sensor captures high-resolution images that emergency responders hope will shorten response times and improve the accuracy of resource deployment in remote or inaccessible flood zones.

NASA also deployed its Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) aboard a Gulfstream III aircraft from Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. UAVSAR will survey the Guadalupe, San Gabriel, and Colorado river basins through the end of the week. Its radar capabilities allow it to detect water beneath tree canopies and other obstructions.

“The team’s goal is to characterize the extent of flooding to help with understanding the amount of damage within communities,” the statement said.

Data gathered from both aircraft will be used to generate flood maps, which will appear on the NASA Disasters Mapping Portal as they are processed. These maps will assist federal, state, and humanitarian agencies in pinpointing areas of need, damaged infrastructure, and potential hazards.

NASA’s disaster response initiatives provide vital situational awareness tools to help local responders deal with rapidly changing conditions.