Typhoon Haiyan's impact revealed in before-and-after satellite images

Several hours before Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines on Nov. 7, DigitalGlobe activated FirstLook, an online service that provides satellite imagery of large scale disasters. Their satellites collected more than 7,300 square miles of imagery in the areas hardest hit by the typhoon — one of the strongest storms to ever make landfall.

Typhoon Haiyan's impact revealed in before-and-after satellite images



Digital Globe/First Look is pretty interesting- has anyone ever heard of this being used for disasters? I've never seen/heard of them using this type of method to gauge damage on a larger scale, certainly will be a useful tool.

Typhoon Haiyan officially dissipated yesterday 11/11/2013 and the confirmed death toll has already surpassed the deadliest US hurricane (Katrina) in the last 75+ years, current death toll 1800+ and climbing.

DigitalGlobe/FirstLook Website

MODS: If this is in the 'wrong' section please feel free to move it!

wind and water are a hell of a thing aint they.

can erase years from the face of the earth.

i feel for all those people.

Just one freaking mess. I really hope the people quickly get the aid they seek . This is another reminder to the whole world that each and every one of us better have backup plans in case things go south. The government isn't going to be there to help us.


Tragic

reply to post by hounddoghowlie


Very true, and if that wasn't horrible enough just seeing all the loss of life would be devastating. From the photo's I've seen there are bodies everywhere, I don't know if I could deal with that. I know my first instinct would be to check if they're breathing etc, and realizing they're all dead must be absolutely heart-wrenching on top of the destruction all around you.

Just a couple of anomalies I noticed;
Why does the object/structure circled on the left appear to have relatively grown in size?
And what can account for the seeming rotation of the object/structure circled on the right?

reply to post by OneFreeMan


the one in the square appears to have been changed, like the building has been moved.
there is another shot in the link that the roof of the before shot was green and the after shot is red.
there's no telling ho old the google earth before shots are from this link.

ETA: here the building with the roof. i cropped it some.

OneFreeMan

Just a couple of anomalies I noticed;
Why does the object/structure circled on the left appear to have relatively grown in size?
And what can account for the seeming rotation of the object/structure circled on the right?

My best guess for the 2nd one would be that perhaps the building was turned on its side or back? I feel like white would be used for siding ahead of roof/foundation.

The first one, I don't know- the satellite pictures seem slightly different- and the second one does seem to be zoomed in a bit more, so maybe that's why it looks bigger? Also less around it to confine the boundaries?

(The zooming is obvious if you look at the parking lot just under the coastline on the right side. That lot has clearly visible lines and the first picture places it further to the left than the second.)

If that doesn't make sense to anyone other than me let me know and I'll open up paint

See below: Several things are actually bigger in the section picture, I think it's just zoom and/or satellite position.

reply to post by OneFreeMan


To your first question; it seems that the resolution and distance between the two has changed. The first is clearly at a different field of view than the second.

To your second question; I am not sure. Do you have dates to the photos? Maybe major renovations have occurred? Or maybe they were manipulated...

Is it just me or does it look like that river was obstructed with debris? I wonder if it's still flowing through or adding additional flooding etc.

It looks larger because it has a visible shadow once all the buildings around it were leveled.

The other object might be a completely different object. Is that a shipyard? Possibly a different barge or ship, or maybe they rotated it before strapping it down to face the prevailing winds.

reply to post by OneFreeMan



i enlarged the picture. it looks like the yard was redone.


see how the old building has a L shape, and the new one is just long and new buildings with blue roofs in front.

reply to post by ragiusnotiel


yes in is full of debris






ETA: i read futher down in the op's link and saw this.

The satellite images above were first taken on Feb 23, 2012 and again on Nov. 10, 2013, after Haiyan wiped out Tacloban, one of the first islands in the direct path of the ferocious tropical storm. Click on the images to view them larger.

so it seems that the before pictures are a about a year and a half older.

OneFreeMan

Just a couple of anomalies I noticed;
Why does the object/structure circled on the left appear to have relatively grown in size?
And what can account for the seeming rotation of the object/structure circled on the right?

As for the 2nd one, water is extremely powerful.
Looks as tho the water swept it sideways.

Katrina played hell with the Mississippi gulf coast, including moving large casino barges inland and away from their original location by a mile or so.
Not to mention wiped the houses clean off their foundation, nothing left but a slab of concrete.
They had a 30 ft. storm surge around Bioloxi/Gulf Port/Waveland, Ms. so I would think that they endured about the same if not worse from Typhoon Haiyan

My husband and I went there as soon as they reopened the roads and it was total devastation....
I can only imagine what those poor people went through with the typhoon and are still going through.

My thoughts and prayers go out to them.

reply to post by hounddoghowlie


Yea I noticed the roof being a completely different color- which is weird because I believe the article said they were told before Haiyan hit to get the satellite pictures ( I could have misread but I doubt it). The angle is different as well. But I supposed they could have used google earth to get the first ones, but isn't that kind 'defeating the purpose' ? I mean how often does google maps get updated? I know my driveway looked the same for quite some time even with it being redone and all. Rescue would certainly be easier with more accurate maps.

*For the record I was able to find one of the places on Google Maps street view although the angle of it is completely different. (General Area search: "Eastern Visayas › Leyte › Tacloban City › Barangay 69")

The Dreaded Double Post

reply to post by ragiusnotiel


i just added a edit to my post from the link in your op.
the before pictures seem to be taken on Feb 23, 2012.

The satellite images above were first taken on Feb 23, 2012 and again on Nov. 10, 2013, after Haiyan wiped out Tacloban, one of the first islands in the direct path of the ferocious tropical storm. Click on the images to view them larger.

hounddoghowlie
reply to post by ragiusnotiel

 

i just added a edit to my post from the link in your op.
the before pictures seem to be taken on Feb 23, 2012.

The satellite images above were first taken on Feb 23, 2012 and again on Nov. 10, 2013, after Haiyan wiped out Tacloban, one of the first islands in the direct path of the ferocious tropical storm. Click on the images to view them larger.

edit on 13-11-2013 by hounddoghowlie because: (no reason given)

aha! Thank you!

reply to post by snarky412



I believe the President of the Philippines said today (or yesterday now) that those estimates had been off.

Typhoon Haiyan's toll: More than 1800 dead

Either way it's still terrible for the people there.

Seeing Katrina's damage up close and personal must have been horrible I can't imagine what being there was like.

I'm glad they have taken it from 10,000 presumed dead to 2,500. Over a half million without homes as well.

www.bbc.co.uk...

I have no clue about this but when you live in typhoon or tornado country aren't there underground shelters for most homes? This wouldn't be too helpful if at sea level or if surging seas but I'm wondering if that is how most survived.

This goes to show that even though these people had warning there really isn't much to do to protect all of the people when it comes to the fury of Mother Nature. Now there is shock and distress from the government down, people looting in some cases, difficulties with getting stuff where it needs to be. I only hope an opportunity is not made from this via the loss of more lives through trafficking or more crime. Keeping civil order is likely going to take some donations of military personnel from other Countries.

There's more on this link -> Haiyan Before and After Sat imagery

reply to post by marhaba


Thanks