Satellite Images of Devastation in Burma

NASA's Terra satellite captures startling before and after pictures of the coast of Burma

By Gregory Mone Posted 05.08.2008 at 8:57 am 8 Comments

Burma Before And After NASA/MODIS Rapid Response Team

Tropical Cyclone Nargis slammed the Burmese coast with 130 mph winds and bursts of up to 160 mph—the equivalent of a category 3 or low-level category 4 hurricane. It reportedly led to thousands of deaths, and as of Monday, thousands more were missing. Now NASA has released a set of images that show how drastically the flooding has drenched Burma's coast.

The Terra satellite used its Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer to capture both the visible and infrared sections of the spectrum, which enabled it to produce pictures that highlight the coverage of the floods. The white streaks in the second image are clouds. Try to ignore those and it's incredibly clear just how much the surrounding waters have encroached on the land. And these aren't empty lands. There are several big cities in the region. An area known as Yangon, which has a population of 4 million people, has been surrounded by water.

The devastation has also renewed a fiery debate about the link between climate change and storm intensity.

More images here.

Via NASA

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8 Comments

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podboq

05/08/08 at 12:47 pm

holy crap

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Denny in Alaska

05/08/08 at 4:55 pm

wish I could care more about this. Wish I could become concerned about the people of Burma. But I can't. The military junta has absolutely ruined this country; it's neighboring countries have done nothing to restore any sense of democracy; and the UN...well, what can one say about the UN?

No. Sorry for the loss of life and the widespread destruction. But I can't feel empathy for any country that refuses aid.

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some_random_dude

05/08/08 at 5:39 pm

You may not feel empathy for the junta, but a country is much more than the militant powers that controll it. Your outlook is a little short minded, a lot of families were detroyed and those people would love any help they could get I'm sure.

...And yes, what can be said about the UN. Worthless, would be one word at the top of my list.

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luke123abc

05/10/08 at 4:07 pm

i can feel bad for them, people died and its somewhat sad that you cant even feel sympathy for them. maybe not empathy, but atleast try some sympathy

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luke123abc

05/10/08 at 4:07 pm

i can feel bad for them, people died and its somewhat sad that you cant even feel sympathy for them. maybe not empathy, but atleast try some sympathy

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luke123abc

05/10/08 at 4:07 pm