Natural disasters pose a threat to life, infrastructure and natural resources in mountainous regions. From 2004–2017, there were nearly 5,500 landslides worldwide, resulting in the loss of nearly 60,000 human lives. In the U.S. alone, landslides cause $2–4 billion in damages annually. As a part of an effort to help us better […]

Today we are pleased to announce that NASA has expanded their subscription with Planet and will provide Planet imagery to all NASA-funded research programs. NASA deemed the pilot an overall success, specifically getting value from Planet’s rapid revisit times and continuous monitoring capability. As such, the recent contract award expands the scope […]

As natural disasters continue to leave their mark on communities and environments, satellite imagery is proving useful to journalists as they inform the public about these important events. Here are some examples of how satellite data can be utilized to help monitor environmental catastrophes. Kincade Fire Over a thousand firefighters are currently […]

From Hurricane Maria to massive floods in India, the increasing occurrence and intensity of natural disasters around the globe has created a need for greater coordination between the private and public sectors to improve disaster preparedness and emergency management. Planet supports these efforts, and is happy to share that we have become […]

Massive floods in Peru. Earthquakes in Mexico. Hurricanes and wildfires in the United States. 2017 was an unprecedented year for natural disasters around the world, inflicting a tragic toll measured in lost lives, displaced communities, damaged property, and economic and ecological disruption. In the U.S. alone, NOAA estimates that weather-related disasters cost […]

Planet’s daily monitoring of Hurricane Harvey shows how frequent data can help governments, insurers, and first responders direct emergency relief efforts and better prepare for natural disasters in the future. View our complete Insight: Anatomy of a Catastrophe, to see how Planet’s imagery was used to assess Harvey’s impact on Houston.

Hurricane Harvey may have faded from view, but we’re just beginning to understand how historic it really was. A new report from the National Hurricane Center, concludes that Harvey broke the record for the most rainfall from a tropical system – 50+ inches – and ranks as the second costliest storm in the […]