Abstract
From 1 June to 29 August 2018, Kerala, a state in southwestern India, recorded 36% excess rainfall than normal levels, leading to widespread floods and landslides events and resulting in 445 deaths. In this study, satellite-based data were used to map the flood inundation in the districts of Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Idukki and Kottayam. Specifically, flood delineation was enabled with Sentinel-1A radar data of 21 August 2018 and was compared with an average pre-flood, water-cover map based on Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) that was developed using a January and February 2018 Sentinel-2A dataset. A 90% increase in water cover was observed during the August 2018 flood event. Low lying areas in the coastal plains of Kuttanad and the Kole lands of Thrissur, had marked a rise of up to 5 and 10 m of water, respectively, during this deluge. These estimates are conservative as that the flood waters had started receding prior to the August 21 Sentinel-1A imagery.
Highlights
India being an agrarian economy, its economic growth has always been under the caprices of the weather, especially extreme weather events (De et al 2005)
Flood delineation was enabled with Sentinel-1A radar data of 21 August 2018 and was compared with an average pre-flood, water-cover map based on Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) that was developed using a January and February 2018 Sentinel-2A dataset
The assessment of the 2018 August floods in Kerala using August 21 Sentinel-1A satellite imagery indicates that a 90% increase in water cover was observed due to the flooding
Summary
India being an agrarian economy, its economic growth has always been under the caprices of the weather, especially extreme weather events (De et al 2005). Besides heavy agricultural losses, such extreme events result in huge losses of life, property, and disruption to economic activities, especially when highly urbanized and populated regions of the country are in the eye of the extreme weather events.
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