New Resources for New Perspectives in This New Year
David Green
Earth science data and knowledge can help guide intelligent decisions at all levels of society. Since 1994, NASA’s Earth Science data have been free and open to all users for any purpose. This Disasters Community newsletter offers resources to access, understand, and use that data, as well as an array of innovative tools to gain new perspectives of our planet and how its changing conditions impact your world.
Read on to see how to access training to make the most of the technology and information we provide in collaboration with partners around the globe. In our interactive story map feature, we’re proud to share real-world user perspectives and examples of how NASA-supported research helps inform individuals, organizations and communities before, during and after disasters strike. As we look toward this new year, I invite you to connect with us to not only improve disaster response but to gain new insights, hasten smart recovery, and promote sustainable resilience in 2022.

Sincerely,
David Green
Program Manager, NASA Earth Applied Sciences Disasters program area
2021 Disasters: A Look Back
A changing climate means changes to hurricanes, fires, and floods. The more we understand events such as these, the better we can prepare. By sponsoring application science and fostering domestic and international partnerships, NASA Disasters promotes the use of Earth observation data to enable disaster-resilient communities.

With this interactive story map, you can explore many of the major disasters we supported in 2021 and learn how we are fostering the next generation of science and scientists to help protect our world from natural hazards.
Risk Reduction, Response, and Recovery
While NASA is not an operational response agency, access to our resources, relationships, and scientific expertise enables affected stakeholders a unique multi-discipline systemic analysis of hazards and disasters to inform actionable decisions.

Here are some recent events we have been supporting.
Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) 2021
Date: Dec. 16, 2021
Region: Asia, Oceania - Philippines
Midwest U.S. Tornado Outbreak December 2021
Date: Dec. 10, 2021
Type: Severe & Winter Weather
Region: North America, Midwest U.S.
Mt. Semeru Eruption 2021
Date: Dec. 4, 2021
Type: Volcanoes
Region: Oceania, Indonesia
Pacific Northwest Flooding and Landslides Nov. 2021
Date: Nov. 17, 2021
Type: Floods, Landslides
Region: North America, British Columbia, Canada, Washington State, U.S.A.
California Oil Spill 2021
Date: Oct. 2, 2021
Type: Oil Spills
Region: North America, California
See other disaster events we have supported here.
People Behind the Program
Maggie Glasscoe: Using NASA Earth Science Data

See how scientists like Dr. Maggi Glasscoe, a research associate at the University of Alabama–Huntsville and disasters coordinator for NASA’s Disasters program area, use data from NASA’s Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) to assess the risks of—and facilitate the response to—natural hazards on a global scale.
Eric Baca: “Never Give up, Never Surrender”

As part of our continuing series of profiles presented from the perspective of NASA interns and graduate students, NASA Disasters science writer intern and Millersville University graduate student Eryne Sheffield profiles Eric Baca. See Baca’s inspiring journey from New Caledonia, a French territory located in the South Pacific Ocean, to becoming a software engineering intern in NASA’s Disasters program area.
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Innovations for Your Disasters Toolkit
Disasters Training
NASA's Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) program provides in-person and online training to facilitate disaster monitoring, preparedness, and relief activities by using remote sensing observations. Topics can include extreme rainfall, floods, landslides, hurricanes, earthquakes, and oil slicks. The next disasters training will be "Using Earth Observations for Pre- and Post-Fire Monitoring," taking place Jan. 18 - 20.
NASA LANCE Updates Near Real-Time MODIS Global Flood Product
NASA’s Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) program recently developed an improved near real-time global flood product, which uses data from the MODIS instruments aboard NASA's Aqua and Terra satellites to identify likely flooded regions.
NASA Worldview
The NASA Worldview App provides the capability to interactively browse over 600 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then download the underlying data. Many imagery layers are updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the entire Earth as it looks "right now." This capability supports time-critical application areas such as wildfire management, air quality measurements, and flood monitoring.
EOTEC DevNet Initiative Advances Earth Science Capacity Building in All Corners of the Globe
Earth science information fuels innovation and increases our ability to address critical challenges, such as climate change and disasters, yet decision-makers in many parts of the world are not able to access these game-changing applications. EOTEC DevNet connects global partners to improve EO training and capacity building. Learn how to get involved in the network’s disaster-related work.
Fostering the Future of Disasters Understanding
NASA-NOAA Tech Will Aid Marine Oil Spill Response
NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists are teaming up to test remote sensing technology for use in oil spill response. See how the Marine Oil Spill Thickness (MOST) project had a real-world test of UAVSAR’s utility during an actual oil spill emergency last fall.
Developing Tsunami Early Warning Systems
Diego Melgar is working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop early warning technology and get it into tsunami warning centers to provide life-saving information for emergency response managers charged with protecting public safety.
North Carolina Flooding Exercise Strengthens Emergency Preparedness “Muscle”
North Carolina’s public health and safety agencies are working with NASA to identify ways Earth observations can help inform early disaster response when hurricanes and heavy rains strike. A NASA Disasters team joined the state’s annual hurricane exercise to learn what resources may be most useful when every second counts.
Using Digital Mapping and Gaming Software for a More Resilient Puerto Rico
NASA Disasters has sponsored a collaborative investigation on the best practices for risk assessment among communities vulnerable to earthquakes in southwest Puerto Rico. New products from the effort will help decision-makers determine which populations are at a higher risk for disasters before an event occurs – allowing for a smoother and quicker dispersal of emergency supplies and evacuation plans.
Notable Upcoming Events
Stay up-to-date with our latest projects and discoveries and see how NASA is helping to make a difference on our home planet.