On Friday, devastation hit the Philippines. The massively destructive typhoon, Haiyan, turned into one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded at landfall, with winds estimated at 195 mph, gusts up to 235 mph and a storm surge that rose up to 20 feet high. As with any natural disaster, rapid, comprehensive, unclassified satellite coverage can be an invaluable tool for responding to these major events.
On November 07, 2013 at 7 pm EST, several hours before Typhoon Haiyan made landfall, DigitalGlobe activated FirstLook, an online subscription service for emergency managers and enterprise customers that provides fast, web-based access to pre- and post-event imagery of natural and manmade disasters. In the first few days, following the initial devastation, DigitalGlobe’s satellites collected and delivered over 19,000 square kilometersof imagery in the hardest hit areas, including Tacloban City and the surrounding areas. FirstLook’s frequent revisit times have enabled rapid delivery of quality imagery content during this time-critical event.
Below is a chilling image chip, depicting the impact from typhoon Haiyan.
For more images, click here.