Satellite flood mapping service strengthens eastern France civil protection   Optical satellite view of the Meuse River flooding the town of Sedan during 4 January 2002. This SPOT image shows urbanised areas in red, and towns under threat named and indicated. A new ESA-backed service provides satellite-derived flood maps for civil protection across France's Eastern defence zone, covering 18 departments. This image was produced by project partner SERTIT.   The ESA-backed Flood Plain Monitoring Service has been designed to manage flood events and deliver map products, based on satellite data, giving emergency responders the ability to track the full extent of floods as they occur.   This 4 Janaury 2002 image combines optical and radar views of the Meuse River flooding Sedan, merging SPOT and ERS imagery. Radar has an enhanced sensitivity to water-logged areas. This image was produced by SERTIT within the framework of an ESA-backed project, aiming at making similar products routinely available for civil protection purposes across France's Eastern defence zone.   The flooding of the Meuse River   Flooding of the Xi River, affecting the city of Wuzhou in Guangxi Province. This Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) Image Mode image was acquired on 25 June 2005, then processed on Santorini Island to be presented during the Dragon Programme Symposium that week. Dark blue indicates reference water, light blue indicates flooded areas and red shows urban areas probably affected. Release date: 2 May 2006