Military

Superdome
New Orleans
Pre- and Post-Hurricane Katrina

The comparative satellite imagery below shows the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in terms of the power outages caused accross the Gulf Coast region. Clearly visible, among other locales, is New Orleans, which goes virtually dark following Hurricane Katrina.

The imagery was captured by an Air Force meteorological satellite from the Air Force Weather here as it flew over the southeastern United States. The defense satellites have a low-light sensor on board that is sensitive enough to see city lights from space, a capability that is unique to Air Force weather satellites. The satellite provides multispectral images that use both infrared and visual satellite imagery to produce a color composite that reveals clouds and lights. The infrared portion is in blue, showing clouds, and the visible portion is in yellow, showing city lights and fires.

The before image was taken Sept. 17, 2003, and shows the city lights in the Gulf Coast which are clearly visible. The after image was taken on Aug. 30, 2005 and shows the widespread power outages across the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the area.

Comparative Satellite imagery of power outages caused accross the Gulf Coast region pre- and post-Hurricane Katrina
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	Comparative Satellite imagery of power outages caused accross the Gulf Coast region pre- and post-Hurricane Katrina (Image source: U.S. Air Force image)