SATELLITE ANALYSIS OF FLOODING AND DURATION OF IMPACT FROM EXTREME STORMS: CASE STUDY: RIVERBANK FAILURE IN THE RO GRANDE DE SAN MIGUEL, EL SALVADOR

Speaker: Ana Villalobos, Ministry of environment and Natural Resources, El SalvadorEl Salvador is vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms, which cause flooding and river overflows, especially in the Ro Grande de San Miguel (RGSM) basin in Usulutn. These events severely impact local communities, as seen during Tropical Storm Amanda-Cristobal (June 2020), Tropical Storm Julia (October 2022), and the Central American Gyre (June 2024). This study used Sentinel-2, Sentinel-1, and Landsat imagery, complemented by drone flights, to analyze the extent and duration of flooding in the lower RGSM basin. The results showed that the June 2024 flooding affected over 250 hectares and more than 900 infrastructures in five localities.