With the help of images from space, the County Administrative Board in Västernorrland will get a better picture of the extent of the floods in and around the watercourses Moälven and Nätraån in Örnsköldsvik municipality.
More specifically, it is about how the water affects infrastructure and population.
Västernorrland has recently been severely affected by massive rainfall. About forty roads have been damaged or washed away and two freight trains have derailed as a result of the rain. Large parts of the village of Kubbe outside Örnsköldsvik were submerged in water.
SMHI's yellow warnings for Nätraån and Moälven currently extend until Thursday and more rain is expected every day during the week.
Through satellite support, we can get a quick and clear picture of how the floods develop. It is an important basis for decision-making both to handle the acute situation and to plan efforts ahead, says Elin Ulvmyr, engineer at MSB.
The European satellite service Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) can be activated in the event of natural disasters, humanitarian crises and other emergency situations and it is the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) that has now opened the initiative.
The activation can continue as long as the County Administrative Board in Västernorrland assesses that it needs the service.
