JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE - EU SCIENCE - Copernicus EMS Rapid Mapping monitors flood events in several Southern counties of Ireland

On 23 February 2021 a low pressure system affected several areas in Counties Cork, Kerry and Tipperary as a consequence of flood events. The National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management in Ireland requested the activation of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS).

Example output of the Rapid Mapping activation for the flood event in Mallow in February 2021 — Copernicus EMS © 2021 EU

date: 12/08/2021

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The areas affected, which include Mallow, Killarney, Cork, Fermoy and Clonmel, were monitored between 23 and 25 May. In total 11 flood maps were produced and delivered.

Over 2020, Irish authorities activated CEMS three times to ask for support in managing crisis situations related to natural disasters. CEMS is one of the six core services of the European Union’s Earth observation programme Copernicus. It provides geoinformation which is derived mostly from satellite images to support actors involved in disaster management. The JRC is responsible for CEMS and implementing a part of it through service contracts with European industry and academia.

The information was extracted from the satellite images, in this case specifically the extent of the event impacts, and is also provided in digital format which allows the user to do further analysis and integration with other datasets in Geographic Information Systems.