Orbimage Releases New Satellite Images of Katrina Aftermath Over the Gulfcoast

EARTH OBSERVATION

Rising water levels from Hurricane Katrina forced the evacuation of thousands of people who sought shelter in the New Orleans Superdome. High resolution satellite imagery, collected by OrbView-3 clearly shows the structural damage to the Superdome's roof and extensive flooding of downtown New Orleans.

Dulles VA (SPX) Sep 05, 2005
Orbimage has collected new imagery yesterday of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast with its high resolution satellite OrbView-3. Some of the first satellite images seen over Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula, Mississippi are available on their website for the media and public distribution as part of their contribution to the rescue efforts.

The attached satellite image over Gulfport, Mississippi, gives context to the massive power of Hurricane Katrina by showing how far inland the Gulfport Casino now sits. The Casino which used to be anchored off-shore can be seen in the bottom center of the image resting on Highway I-90.

The colossal steel frames and hulls of these floating casinos are now well inland, hurled across streets and parks by the waves. Casino gambling here provided jobs for 14,000 people. Mississippi's gulf cost casinos generated $500,000 a day in gambling taxes alone and every single casino has been wrecked.

Orbimage was the first commercial satellite company to capture imagery over the affected area on Tuesday August 30, 2005 shortly after the levees broke in New Orleans causing the second wave of destruction for the city.

Orbimage has supported the rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina through the dissemination of all available imagery to our customers electronically as well as through distribution of storage media to others to facilitate secondary dissemination.

Our target is to reach those who work directly with federal and civil relief agencies and to provide others who have a need with this vital information, by making our imagery available through the media and on our own website.

We have an aggressive collection campaign for the areas affected by Katrina. Orbimage will have additional photo opportunities as our satellite passes over the Gulf coast several times in the next week.

Orbimage has dedicated all of its available satellite collection time over the affected area to this effort. Satellite Imagery is being continuously posted on our website for anyone to access in support of rescue efforts and to help officials provide knowledgeable information. Please visit our website periodically throughout the next days in order to get updates on newly available imagery.

Orbimage sends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to all of the people and communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina. It has been our experience so far that no one is untouched by this tragedy and we are anxious to be of any possible assistance to our fellow citizens of this great country.

Orbimage encourages your media organization to use this imagery. Credit for use of the imagery should read "Courtesy of Orbimage" or similar.

EARTH OBSERVATION

Envisat Sees Whirling Hurricane Katrina From Ocean Waves To Cloud Tops

Paris (ESA) Aug 30, 2005
ESA's multi-sensor Envisat satellite has gathered a unique view of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico. While an optical image shows characteristic spiralling cloud patterns, a simultaneous radar observation pierces through the clouds to show how Katrina's 250-kilometre-an-hour an hour winds scour the sea surface.