Ad-hoc situational awareness during floods using remote sensing data and machine learning methods

Recent advances in machine learning and the rise of new large-scale remote sensing datasets have opened new possibilities for automation of remote sensing data analysis that make it possible to cope with the growing data volume and complexity and the inherent spatio-temporal dynamics of disaster situations. In this work, we provide insights into machine learning methods developed by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for rapid mapping activities and used to support disaster response efforts during the 2021 flood in Western Germany. These include specifically methods related to systematic flood monitoring from Sentinel-1 as well as road-network extraction, object detection and damage assessment from very high-resolution optical satellite and aerial images. We discuss aspects of data acquisition and present results that were used by first responders during the flood disaster.