This year’s spring tornado season has been deadly and devastating, with numerous tornado outbreaks in April and May leaving a path of destruction across major parts of the United States.

In recent weeks, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have all turned to NGA, seeking the collection of satellite imagery to help them estimate damages and coordinate federal responses in the affected regions.

A preliminary analysis by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center reported 384 tornadoes in April. Although its final confirmed number is likely to be lower, the preliminary number is roughly twice the April average and the third highest amount of tornado activity recorded for the month in more than 70 years. The severe storms and tornadoes continue this month as well, with more than 240 tornadoes reported nationwide in the first two weeks of May.

“It’s certainly been a very heavy start to the season,’’ noted Ken Laurion, Western Hemisphere branch chief in NGA’s Source Operations Group. Laurion’s team, in response to requests from FEMA and other federal agencies, has led NGA’s coordination of mostly commercial panchromatic imagery collection in areas hard-hit by tornadoes. 

For instance, in just one major round of storms in late April-early May, NGA provided 246 commercial images over 20 affected locations in seven states. Such imagery is critical to FEMA’s timely understanding of the extent of the damage and to state governors’ requests for disaster funding.

“Commercial imagery is vital to the support we provide FEMA because of its ability to be released and shared outside the classified domain,’’ Laurion said.

FEMA uses both aerial and satellite imagery for its geospatial damage assessments to determine the size and scope of a disaster and its impact on a community. Satellite imagery helps to fill gaps and allows officials to more quickly determine whether a particular location should be declared a presidential disaster area, which frees up federal financial support and programs for those affected. 

FEMA’s number one goal is simple: Get money to disaster survivors. And geospatial imagery helps speed up achievement of that goal.

NGA’s support of FEMA and others is part of the agency’s broader humanitarian and disaster relief mission, which is active in the U.S. and around the world.

Domestically, the agency's help is requested in response to major natural-disaster events such as flooding, storms, hurricanes and wildfires — situations within the U.S. in which NGA is legally allowed to help. Various federal partners call in NGA throughout the year, typically starting in late winter/early spring with Midwest floods from snow melt and Western floods from torrential rains; then to severe storms and tornadoes as temperatures warm; and on to wildfires through the summer and hurricanes in the fall.

In 2023, NGA orchestrated U.S. imagery collection primarily with commercial providers for 11 tornado events, 13 flooding events, 63 wildfires and 10 tropical storms. 

“This work is always a top priority for all of us at NGA, especially as U.S. citizens are affected by these disasters,’’ Laurion said. “Our interagency government partners depend on NGA and our mission expertise to provide that GEOINT contribution. We want to ensure timely and efficient delivery to enable a rapid response to communities in need.”  

Written by:  Adam Goodman