
Credit:
NASA Earth Observatory image by Adam Voiland, using MODIS data from LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response. Caption by Adam Voiland.
Super Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) slammed into the Philippines near the northern tip of Luzon on September 15, 2018, with winds that exceeded 265 kilometers per hour (165 miles per hour). The storm also brought intense rainfall, with some parts of Luzon picking up more than 66 centimeters (26 inches) of rain.
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite observed floodwaters in northern Luzon on September 17, 2018. For comparison, the second image shows the same area on September 6, 2018.
These false-color images use a combination of visible and infrared light to make it easier to distinguish between water and land. River water appears navy blue; vegetation is bright green. Clouds appear pale blue-green. Sunglint has discolored some of the water in the first image.
According to the United Nations, the storm damaged or destroyed roughly 1,475 homes and caused hundreds of millions of dollars of crop losses.
References and Further Reading
- BBC (2018, September 16) Philippines Typhoon Mangkhut: Destruction in Aparri. Accessed September 18, 2018.
- NASA Earth Observatory Typhoon Mangkhut. Accessed September 18, 2018.
- Philippine News Agency (2018, September 18) Agri damage due to ‘Ompong’ hits P14.3-B mark. Accessed September 18, 2018.
- ReliefWeb (2018, September 18) Philippines: Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) Snapshot (as of 18 Sep 2018). Accessed September 18, 2018.
- Weather Underground (2018, September 15) Category 2 Mangkhut May be a Top-Ten Costliest Typhoon for China. Accessed September 18, 2018.
Images & Animations
File
File Dimensions
- 720x480
- JPEG
- 2746x1572
- JPEG 713 KB
- 720x480
- JPEG
- 1608x1072
- JPEG 655 KB
Note: Often times, due to the size, browsers have a difficult time opening and displaying images. If you experiece an error when clicking on an image link, please try directly downloading the image (using a right click, save as method) to view it locally.
This image originally appeared on the Earth Observatory. Click here to view the full, original record.
Metadata
Data Date:
September 6, 2018Visualization Date:
September 18, 2018-
Sensor(s):
Aqua - MODIS
Terra - MODIS