Satellite Images Of Flooding In Livorno, Italy
- European Space Imaging
Eight people have lost their lives in flooding caused by heavy rain on the 9th and 10th of September in the port city of Livorno.
Authorities issued an ‘orange’ alert before the flood, but a month’s worth of rainfall in just four hours led to much worse flooding than expected.
On the 13th of September European Space Imaging collected imagery using WorldView-2, a very high resolution satellite in the DigitalGlobe constellation. The images show muddy water sitting in industrial areas and parts of the countryside.
“Being able to assess the scale of flood damage using satellite data is very useful for emergency services and local authorities,” says Adrian Zevenbergen, Managing Director at European Space Imaging. “It can help them accurately assess the worst hit areas, allowing them to make decisions about where best to direct their resources.”
The flood comes after a summer in which Italy has been plagued by drought.
New satellite imagery obtained by European Space Imaging shows flooding in Livorno by WorldView-2 @ 50cm resolution
Satellite image of Livorno on 13th September by WorldView-2 @ 50cm resolution
Flooded fields by WorldView-2 @ 50cm resolution
The muddy river flowing into a turbulent Mediterranean by WorldView-2 @ 50cm resolution
Related Stories
GEOSeries: Turning Satellite Data into Actionable Intelligence for Critical Energy Infrastructure
See how satellite imagery can make critical infrastructure monitoring more frequent, targeted and efficient. Monitoring hundreds or thousands of kilometres of pipelines, power lines and other critical infrastructure traditionally requires extensive field inspections, vehicle patrols or aerial surveys. Satellite-based monitoring offers a different approach: regularly analysing large networks, identifying potential risks and directing teams to the locations that require attention.
Gallery: Wildfires Across Europe in August 2026
The first week of August brought heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires. Here are satellite images showing the destruction.
VHR Satellite Images for Wildfire Monitoring
High temperatures are breaking records, vegetation is drying up, and catastrophic wildfires are raging across Europe. Emergency responders are already turning to satellite imagery for fire monitoring and damage analysis – but few know its full potential. Near Real-Time (NRT) capabilities deliver critical images just 15 minutes after collection. Intraday imaging captures a fire as it develops throughout the day. And 8-band multispectral imagery lets responders see through haze, light fog, and other atmospheric conditions – including wildfire smoke itself.
Earth Observation Turns Ecological Targets into Measurable Outcomes: How Satellite Imagery Supports Compliance with Europe’s Nature Restoration Regulation
The EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR) entered into force in 2024 and set legally binding targets to restore degraded ecosystems across Europe. With National Restoration Plans due in September 2026, Member States face an urgent question: how do you map, plan and monitor restoration across millions of hectares in a consistent, verifiable way? Earth Observation (EO) – and Very High Resolution (VHR) multispectral satellite imagery in particular – is increasingly the answer.
