By late October 2010, parts of Thailand had been hit by the worst floods in decades, Agence France-Presse reported. At least 94 people had been killed, and an estimated 4.2 million people had been affected in some way, many having lost homes, farms, and/or livestock. Thailand’s government estimated that 1.6 million acres of farmland had been destroyed. The flooding was worst in central and eastern Thailand.
These images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite show flood-affected parts of Thailand on October 29, 2010 (top), and October 30, 2009 (bottom). Both images use a combination of infrared and visible light to increase the contrast between water and land. Vegetation is bright green. Bare land and urban areas range in color from tan to brick. Clouds are pale blue-green. Water is dark blue.
Compared to conditions the year before, flooding is most apparent along the Mae Nam Mun River in the east, and along the Chao Phraya River north of Bangkok. Although Bangkok itself avoided major damage, Agence France-Presse reported that more than 1,000 homes north of the city had been partly submerged. In the 2010 image, large areas of standing water are apparent north of the coastal metropolis.
References & Resources
- Konglang, A. (2010, October 28). Thai floods kill 94, wreak widespread havoc. Agence France-Presse. Accessed October 29, 2010.
NASA images courtesy MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.
