See through the clouds: Storm Boris in Central and Eastern Europe

Updated on September 17, 2024 - The recent catastrophic flooding triggered by Storm Boris across Central and Eastern Europe underscores the urgent need for rapid and reliable disaster response mechanisms. As emergency management organizations, insurers, and risk managers face the daunting task of assessing and mitigating the impacts of these severe floodings, the value of timely, accurate data cannot be overstated.

Storm Boris: what do we know so far?

"Storm Boris has been "stuck" over Central and Eastern Europe since September 12, cut off from the primary jet stream flow. Boris, tapping into the warm and humid air over the Mediterranean Sea, generated prolific rainfall across parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria," explains Brandon Wright , our Meteorologist & Solutions Operations Team Lead at ICEYE.

“Many locations received several months' worth of rainfall in a matter of days, with more than 300 mm of rain reported. This caused catastrophic flooding in southern Poland and eastern Czech Republic, which will continue for several days as the runoff from the heavy rainfall works downriver into the region's primary rivers. Though Boris has weakened, rainfall continues across parts of the region, including Austria,” adds Brandon Wright .

The Danube has also seen flooding issues, including around Vienna and Bratislava. In addition, Boris brought early-season snow to the higher elevations of the Alps, with nearly 1m of snowfall observed. This will melt in the coming days and prolong river flooding in the region through late September.

How are our satellite-powered insights helping disaster response in the area?

Boris is causing widespread flooding, which has already affected thousands and is straining emergency response resources. Often hampered by cloud cover and limited daylight, traditional observational methods struggle to provide the necessary speed and accuracy in such urgent situations.

This is where Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology comes into play. Unlike conventional methods, SAR can penetrate cloud cover and operate effectively regardless of the time of day or the presence of clouds. This capability is crucial during periods like this, with continuous rain and flooding through vast cloud-covered areas.

All hands on deck: the world's largest SAR constellation in action

As heavy flooding devastates Central and Eastern Europe following torrential rains from Storm Boris, all ICEYE radar satellites have been tasked with monitoring the impacted areas. Our Solutions team is fully activated for this event, ensuring timely data to support ongoing response efforts and provide our customers with near real-time data on flood extent and depth.

In the words of Stephen Lathrope , our SVP of Solutions, "Our flood monitoring team actively collaborates with governmental agencies across Europe, analyzing and processing satellite data. We have now delivered three flood analysis reports for Poland and the first report for Austria, with more updates for these countries underway. Our cloud-penetrating SAR satellites also capture imagery of other impacted regions across Central and Eastern Europe."

As we continue to witness the impacts of climate change and the increasing frequency of severe weather events, advanced technologies like SAR become even more critical. SAR technology helps build a more resilient response framework by providing clear, actionable data under all conditions. This, in turn, empowers insurance companies, emergency responders, and government agencies to make informed decisions that can save lives, reduce economic losses, and speed up recovery times.

If you are located in one of Storm Boris's affected regions and would like to know more about how we can support your organization, contact us at https://www.iceye.com/contact/solutions.

Alternatively, we invite you to follow our live News Feed at https://www.iceye.com/solutions/storm-boris-september-2024.

Editor's note: we'll update this article as our flood analyses progress and more information becomes available.