QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Aug. 2026) — High-tech satellite data processed by artificial intelligence is giving Pinoys a clearer view of the devastation left by recent storms, with new maps from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) revealing the exact extent of flooding across northern Luzon.
The space agency generated detailed flood extent maps tracking the aftermath of heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Maymay and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon, locally known as Habagat. The data highlights hard-hit areas in Region 1 and Region 2, alongside parts of Abra and Zambales.
How space tech tracks the floods
To map out the affected areas, PhilSA utilized advanced Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite imagery. The agency captured data from Region 1 on Aug. 6, 2026, at 5:54 a.m., followed by imagery from Region 2 on Aug. 9, 2026, at 5:58 p.m.
Instead of relying solely on manual tracking, experts deployed AI to analyze a composite of three separate Sentinel-1 radar images. This combination allowed the team to pinpoint exactly where water submerged communities, providing crucial data for disaster response and public safety.
Pinoys can check the full analysis and view the comprehensive flood maps directly on the PhilSA official website.
For more on this story, check out our coverage on PhilSA satellite flood maps.
