Long-term flood mapping datasets can be invaluable for historic flood investigation, flood potential or probability estimate, time series analysis and modelling, and climate change studies. With the developed flood detection algorithm and software for JPSS/VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) (Li et al., 2017), in this study, VIIRS historic data since 2012 has been reprocessed from JPSS (Joint Polar Satellite System) series including Suomi-NPP (Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership) and NOAA-20. VIIRS global flood time series datasets have been generated and distributed by NOAA through Amazon Web Services (AWS). The derived dataset includes granule flood product, daily and 5-day composited flood products in netCDF4, geotiff and shapefile formats from 2012 to 2020. The dataset not only provides data records of historic flood events, but also shows potential in flood analysis and modelling. With the dataset, a simple application using annual composition is performed to analyze the annual change of flood extent globally and in each continent. The analysis has shown a slightly increasing trend in flood extent at a global scale, but varying in different regions.

The purpose of this work is to lay the groundwork for an in-depth socio-economic impact assessment for the VIIRS sensor on the JPSS Satellites. This assessment will be a natural follow-on to previous socio-economic assessments completed by the JPSS Program. Here is some background information that will underpin the assessment.

Near real-time satellite-derived flood maps are invaluable to river forecasters and decision-makers for disaster monitoring and relief efforts. Combining utilization of the LEO (low earth orbiting) and GEO (geostationary) satellite imagery shows great advantages in flood mapping. With the support from NOAA/NASA JPSS (Joint Polar Satellite System) Program and GOES-R program, the flood mapping system has been developed to derive flood maps from Suomi-NPP (Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership) & NOAA-20/VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) imagery, GOES-16&17/ABI (Advanced Baseline Imager) imagery, and Himawari-8/AHI imagery. These flood maps are generated on a routine base at Space Science and Engineering Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison and have been applied in flood operations. Initial feedback from river forecasters on the product accuracy and performance has been largely positive. Evaluation efforts including visual inspection and quantitative validation using Landsat-8/OLI and Sentinel-2 imagery, and aerial photos have demonstrated steady performance of these products, which indicates a high feasibility of these flood maps to be produced at the product level.

Instruments on board Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites (and other polar orbiters) provide unique operational capabilities for tropical cyclones to United States National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters throughout the Pacific basin. Data from these satellites are also used as input to forecast models that are used globally for tropical cyclone guidance. Specific products include visible imagery at night (from the Visible-Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite -- VIIRS -- Day Night Band (DNB) that flies on the Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 satellites), information in the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum as sensed by the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 and the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU) and Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) instruments on NOAA-19 (and also on EUMETSAT's MetOp series of satellites). JPSS data from ATMS and from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS, also on board Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20) instruments are used to create vertical profiles of temperature in moisture via HEAP (Hyper-spectral Enterprise Algorithm Package; formerly NOAA-Unique Combined Atmospheric Processing System -- NUCAPS). These data sources afford a forecaster with important analysis techniques for center-fixing a tropical cyclone (TC), estimating the size of the eye (a metric that influences peak speeds) and for assessing the environment in and around the storm.

In this presentation, we present details on ways that the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program uses its investments in environmental satellites to benefit not only the NOAA mission but other countries as well. The United States component of polar satellite, the NOAA-20 and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellites continue to provide critical data and products to support user missions worldwide. New sensors are being built and integrated onto the next satellites in the JPSS Program. The JPSS Program is also starting to consider what its polar satellite program may look like after the last JPSS Satellite is launched.

In this presentation, we present details on ways that the JPSS Program uses its investments in environmental satellites to benefit not only the NOAA mission but other countries as well. The data, products, and capabilities from the NOAA-20 satellite has been well integrated into the global observation network following its launch on November 18, 2017. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) continues to provide critical data as its sensors maintain their health well past their expected life-time.

In this presentation, we present details on various newsworthy storms that have received support from the data and products from the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) satellites. With the launch of the NOAA-20 satellite on November 18, 2017 and the continued technical health of the Suomi NPP satellite, multiple sources of data and products are available for decisionmakers as they face weather disasters around the world. This value of these satellites is continually reinforced as the JPSS Program is frequently called on to provide tailored products in response to these disasters. The operational application of JPSS data and products comes about in three primary ways.

In this presentation, we present details on the use of data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) to create flood products that are used by decisionmakers in response to flooding events worldwide. In the United States, floods cause more loss of life and property than any type of severe weather events. Billions of dollars are lost annually with hundreds of people losing their lives. The areal extent of flood waters are often difficult to define due to these floods occurring in remote areas and the difficulty in getting timely information in the middle of a crisis. Satellite imagery has proven to be an effect supplement to in-situ methods of defining flood extent. The VIIRS instrument has special advantages in flood detection. VIIRS has a 3000 km swath width and a 375 m spatial resolution. Its polar orbit allows for multiple passes over high latitudes. The recent launch of the JPSS-1 spacecraft to join the Suomi NPP spacecraft provides even more frequent passes. The success of the VIIRS Flood Product has led the way to the development of a flood product from the Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) from the GOES-16 satellite. A blended JPSS and GOES flood product takes advantage of the high temporal resolution of the GOES satellites and the high spatial resolution of the JPSS satellites.

As the costliest natural disaster over the globe, floods are predicted to become more frequent in most climate change forecasts. In high latitudes, floods are caused by ice jam and snow melt almost every break-up season. Floods caused by intense rainfall also threaten lives and social infrastructures. Near real-time satellite-derived flood maps are invaluable to river forecasters and decision-makers for disaster monitoring and relief efforts.