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QUEZON CITY, August 11, 2026 — The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) produced flood extent maps showing flooded areas in Regions 1 and 2, and parts of Abra and Zambales following the heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Maymay and the enhanced Southwest Monsoon (Habagat).
The analysis used Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery captured on 06 August 2026 at 05:54 AM PhST (for Region 1) and 09 August 2026 at 05:58 PM PhST (for Region 2). The flooded areas were detected with the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) using a composite of three Sentinel-1 SAR images.
SAR satellite imagery is useful in flood mapping because SAR signals can penetrate through clouds that often cover large areas during storms, and regardless of daylight conditions, unlike optical imagery. However, SAR may underestimate flooding in urban and densely vegetated areas because complex surfaces may affect the backscatter data being measured and reduce flood detection accuracy. Please note that these maps remain subject to ground validation.
PhilSA supports the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in monitoring the situation and prioritizing areas for response through the analysis of wide-area coverage satellite data. By making space data accessible to stakeholders, PhilSA enables informed decision-making and strengthens disaster response.
PhilSA will continue monitoring satellite data as the situation requires. Please follow local and national agencies for the latest advisories.
Access the maps and shapefiles of flood extents here:
Region I, and parts of Abra and Zambales: https://tinyurl.com/Flood-20260806-S1D
Region II: https://tinyurl.com/Flood-20260809-S1C-Y2
Follow us on social media for the latest updates: https://linktr.ee/philspaceagency (/)
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About PhilSA
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) is the central government agency of the Philippines that plans, develops, and promotes the national space program in line with the Philippine Space Policy. Created in August 2019 under Republic Act No. 11363, or the Philippine Space Act, PhilSA is an attached agency of the Office of the President of the Philippines for purposes of policy and program coordination and to ensure alignment in national policies and priorities.
For media inquiries, please contact publicrelations@philsa.gov.ph, +63 952 452 2694