NASA has released photos of parts of Dubai and Abu Dhabi before and after the United Arab Emirates was hit by record rainfall last week that caused dangerous flooding and paralyzed much of the country.
The images, taken by NASA’s Earth Observatory on Friday using Landsat data from the US Geological Surveythey show large patches of water across the UAE’s desert and urban landscape where there was none before – almost as if small lakes had appeared.
“Some areas remained flooded on April 19, when Landsat 9 passed over the area for the first time since the storms,” NASA wrote on the Earth Observatory website.
Flash floods that formed on April 16 led to water engulfing cars, in some areas completely submerging them, leading hundreds of drivers to abandon their vehicles on the roads to escape the rising water levels.
The normally dry Gulf desert country was hit with about a year’s worth of rain in less than a day, more than it has ever seen in a single storm since records began for the UAE in 1949.
Satellite photo of part of Dubai on April 3 taken by Landsat 9, an Earth observation satellite operated by a partnership between the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
NASA Earth Observatory
Satellite photo of part of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, taken on April 19 as Landsat 9 passed over the area for the first time since record storms hit the country on April 15-16. The image taken by the satellite’s OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager 2) shows flooding in many parts of the emirate. The image is false color (bands 6-5-3) to emphasize the presence of water, which appears blue.
NASA Earth Observatory
The first image from NASA shows part of Dubai and the surrounding area on April 3, taken by Landsat 9, an Earth observation satellite operated by a partnership between the US Geological Survey and NASA. The second was taken on April 19, as Landsat 9 passed over the region for the first time since record storms hit the country.
The second image, acquired with the satellite’s OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager 2), “shows flooding in many parts of the emirate. The image is false-colored (zones 6-5-3) to emphasize the presence of water, the which appears blue,” NASA wrote.
The deluge closed schools and businesses, grounded hundreds of flights and damaged cars, businesses and other property. It threw everyday life into chaos as many residents lost power and running water or were stranded either inside their homes or at airports, or wherever they happened to be when the storm hit.
The UAE’s National Meteorological Center said the country’s eastern regions saw up to 250 millimeters – 10 ten inches – of rain in less than 24 hours. In contrast, in a full year the UAE typically sees 5.5 to 8 inches of rainfall per year.
Due to the lack of drainage infrastructure and the fact that the country’s urban areas are paved, much of the water had nowhere to go, exacerbating flooding in many areas.
Efforts to clean up the country continue and there are still many problems in some areas where infrastructure has been badly damaged and many residents say they still have no running water or electricity.
Landsat 9 images show the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi and the surrounding area on April 3 (left) and April 19 (right), before and after the storms. On April 19, water can be seen covering Sheikh Zayed Road, a major thoroughfare that crosses Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Patches of flooded areas are also visible in Khalifa City and Zayed City, residential areas southeast of central Abu Dhabi.
NASA Earth Observatory
A high-rise apartment building near the border of Dubai and the emirate of Sharjah it is cracked and leaning due to structural damage from the storm, and was fully evacuated Friday because it is in danger of collapsing.
The UAE’s central bank has issued a directive to local banks and insurance companies to allow loan deferrals six months, in an effort to help residents and businesses affected by the floods.