Colorado flood seen from space

TORONTO – A NASA satellite has photographed Colorado before and after the heavy rains that killed seven people last week.

A weather system that drew up moisture from the south settled over the northern and western part of the state on Sept. 9 and didn’t move for seven days. Rain persisted for seven days straight.

Some areas reported over 500 mm of rain during that period. Flash floods washed away homes and cars and left many stranded for days. Almost 12,000 people were evacuated. Hundreds of people remain missing.

The images were taken by NASA’s Aqua satellite in infrared light which increases the contrast between the land and water. In these images, the water is light blue. Farmland is bright green while natural vegetation is pale green and the bare ground, tan.

In the Sept. 14 image, the swollen South Platte River and its tributaries can be seen spilling into nearby towns and cities.