Post-Tornado Damage Assessment in the Southeastern Region, USA, Using Synthetic Aperture Radar Observations

• Published in: IGARSS 2024 - 2024 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium pp. 569 - 572
• Main Authors: Pankratz, Hannah G, Melancon, Alexander, Molthan, Andrew L, Bell, Jordan R
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 07.07.2024
• Subjects: change detection; natural hazards; Radar polarimetry; Radar tracking; Sensitivity; severe weather; Surveys; synthetic aperture radar (SAR); Tornadoes; Vegetation mapping; Wind
• DOI: 10.1109/IGARSS53475.2024.10642121

Severe weather events (e.g., tornadoes, hail, and damaging winds) often cause widespread damage. A rapid assessment of damage, especially from suspected tornadoes, is crucial for supporting response and recovery activities by authorities. This paper highlights the benefits and limitations of using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to detect tornado damage in notable recent tornadic events across the southeastern region of the United States. SAR amplitude and phase-derived products were evaluated to better understand the sensitivity of each to detect tornado damage tracks. Preliminary results showed a correlation between the magnitude of change in the SAR product and the corresponding damage from the tornado. Higher-rated and longer-tracked tornadoes were more often detected in the SAR imagery compared to lower-rated, short-lived tornadoes. Overall, SAR-derived tornado damage tracks could be a supplementary dataset to optical data and ground surveys, especially when surveying difficult terrain and hard-to-reach areas.