20 Years of SAR

Flood - Honduras, November 1998

Torrential rains, flooding and mudslides over a five day period devastated Honduras, Central America - one of the poorest countries in that region.

Flood - Germany and the Netherlands, November 1998

A collection of ERS-2 SAR satellite images over the floods in Germany and the Netherlands.

Flood - Belgium, September 1998

During the third week of September, torrential rains over Belgium and the Netherlands produced heavy flooding of the regions.

Flood - Yangtze (China), July 1998

Seasonal summer rains have devastated vast areas of China this year, killing more than 2,000 people, destroying 2.9 million houses and ruining more than 9 million hectares of crops.

Flood - Portugal, November 1997

After several days of rain, the area near the Guadiana River along the Spain – Portugal border was hit by a violent flood.

Flood - Europe (Czech Republic, Poland & Germany), July - August 1997

Due to heavy rain, the worst flooding in decades has hit the Czech Republic and Poland destroying farmland and killing at least 52 people in Poland and 39 in the Czech Republic. In Poland, 300 towns and villages are flooded. In the Czech Republic, the government said nearly 2,700 homes were destroyed by the flooding.

Flood - Red River (USA), April 1997

In April 1997, the regions of North Dakota (USA) and Manitoba (Canada) experienced some of the worst floods in their history, which caused severe damage to towns and farmland over a wide area. It was reported to be the largest flood the region had experienced in the 20th Century.

Flood - Metz (France), February 1997

Floods struck on the boundary between Luxemburg, France and Germany.

Vatnajökull - Iceland, October/November 1996

Late on the evening of 30 September 1996, an eruption started beneath the Vatnajökull glacier in central Iceland. This eruption caused part of the glacier to melt, resulting in devastating flooding in the Skei?arársandur region.

Flood - Emilia Romagna (Italy), October 1996

Strong rains hit the Italian peninsula, killing two people and causing serious economic damages all over the country.

North Sea, July 1996

This ERS-2 satellite image was acquired on 18 July 1996 over an oil slick in the North Sea.

Wales (UK), February 1996

On 15 February 1996 the oil tanker Sea Empress struck a rock off St.Anne's Head near the town of Milford Haven. 80,000 tonnes of crude oil were released during the 10 days that elapsed before the emergency team could stem the flow.

Flood - Béziers (France), January 1996

On 29 January, the small town of Béziers was hit by a large flood. Torrential rains caused the nearby Orb River to overflow. During the floods, four people died and more than 600 people were evacuated.

Flood - Nijmegen (The Netherlands), February 1995

The heavy rain that hit France (in the area of Charleville) and Germany at the end of January 1995 enlarged the Mass (Meuse), Waal and Rhine rivers, threatening to overwhelm the Netherlands' flood protection walls and inundate the heart of the country.