By late November 2011, floods were receding around Thailand’s capital city of Bangkok, but only slowly. These images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite compare conditions around the city on November 28, 2011 (top), and November 1, 2011 (bottom).
These images use a combination of visible and infrared light to better distinguish between water and land. Water is navy blue. Vegetation is bright green. Bare ground and urban areas are earth-toned. Clouds are pale blue-green.
Both images show significant flooding, but flood waters have receded over the course of the month. Lower water levels are especially apparent east of the city.
Although flood conditions had improved in some areas by late November, many residents of Bangkok suburbs continued to cope with standing water, according to news reports. As flood waters retreated from some areas, Bangkok-area residents discovered unwelcome squatters: crocodiles and poisonous snakes, USA Today reported.
- Bangkok Post. (2011, November 29 [Thailand time zone]). Sukhumbhand denies Froc request to raise sluice gate. Accessed November 28, 2011.
- Wake, D., Agence France-Presse. (2011, November 27). Misery lingers for Bangkok’s “forgotten” flood victims. Accessed November 28, 2011.
- Weerawong, A., Associated Press. (2011, November 27). Receding floods reveal crocs in Bangkok. USA Today. Accessed November 28, 2011.
NASA image courtesy LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.
- Terra - MODIS