Source: Linda Jonescheit, USGS

The summer of 2011 proved to be a season of extreme events. Heavy snowfall in the western mountains and excessive spring rains caused flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers; whereas extended dry conditions enabled fires to rage out of control from Alaska and Canada, south to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Georgia, and Mexico.

Landsat data are used by emergency responders to monitor change and damage caused by natural and man-made disasters. Landsat enables assessments of damage extent and severity to be quickly made. Decision makers rely on Landsat as they create plans for future environmental concerns. The Landsat archive holds nearly 40 years of continuous global earth observation data.
Further information:
+ Monitoring Floods and Fires during the Summer of 2011— The Value of the Landsat Satellite 40-Year Archive