When heavy rains brought destructive flooding to Kerrville, Texas, this summer, first responders faced a critical challenge: Persistent cloud cover made it nearly impossible to see the full extent of the disaster from space.
NASA — with some of the most advanced aircraft sensors ever built — stepped in to provide the visibility needed to save lives and guide recovery.
NASA deployed two specialized aircraft through its Disasters Response Coordination System, which activates during major emergencies to assist state and local officials. The mission was to deliver clear, high-resolution images of flooded communities that could cut through clouds, map hidden waterways, and guide everything from search-and-rescue to rebuilding plans.
The first aircraft, a WB-57 flying out of Houston, carried a Day/Night Airborne Motion Imager for Terrestrial Environments (DyNAMITE) sensor. This system delivered detailed views of the Guadalupe River and its surrounding floodplains in real time, helping emergency teams understand which neighborhoods were hit hardest.
Meanwhile, a jet equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) flew over the Guadalupe, San Gabriel, and Colorado river basins. UAVSAR can penetrate vegetation and clouds to detect floodwaters invisible to the human eye. That means responders could finally see the true scope of water damage, even in areas where optical sensors had failed.
In disaster zones, every minute counts. NASA's technology dramatically shortens the time it takes for officials to identify hazards, direct rescue crews, and allocate resources.
This data also has a lasting impact. By creating detailed maps of where floods occurred and how they spread, local leaders can strengthen infrastructure, improve evacuation plans, and prepare for future disasters — something that is increasingly urgent amid a shifting climate.
For families in Texas, this meant quicker rescues, faster recovery, and a safer path home after disaster. On a global scale, the innovation signals a future where advanced monitoring tools can keep entire communities safer, reduce damage to homes, and protect vital ecosystems from the cascading effects of extreme weather.
NASA's new tools build on years of development. The UAVSAR radar system, first flown in the late 2000s, has supported hundreds of missions — from tracking earthquakes to mapping floods — while the newer DyNAMITE imager extends those capabilities with day-and-night high-resolution views. Together, they represent decades of NASA research now being put directly into the hands of first responders.
Other groups are working on similar breakthroughs — from AI-powered satellites that spot wildfires early to local AI detection systems in Austin designed to catch catastrophic blazes before they spread. These solutions bode well for a more resilient future.
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