Analysis of the 2019 Midwest US Flooding Using NASA Data

In the wake of Winter Storm Ulmer, an intense "bomb cyclone" that set preliminary low-pressure records, historic flooding occurred in 41 locations across the Midwest United States, causing many streams and rivers - including the Platte, Missouri, and Elkhorn Rivers - to rise to all-time record flood levels in Nebraska. Warm and dry conditions, along with 4-8 inches of snowfall, and over 1" of rain caused over 3-5" of storm water runoff from rapid melting.

A rare confluence of circumstances produced the flooding, including extreme cold earlier in the winter that preserved a significant amount of snowfall, a thick layer of ice on waterways, and the large downpour of rain from Winter Storm Ulmer. Unusually warm air caused the snow and ice to rapidly melt, producing record amounts of runoff within a short period of time.

This poster presents several datasets from NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (our partner agency) that can be used in analyzing floods and flood areas, including soil moisture, snowfall and precipitation, floodwater areas, vicinity of urban areas and impervious surfaces, and proximity of strategic or critical infrastructure. To discover and access NASA Earth science data, information, services and tools from EOSDIS, go to https://earthdata.nasa.gov.