Satellite Data Reveals Widespread Flooding in Southern Philippines After Typhoon Inday Rains

MANILA, Philippines — Satellite extent maps released by the Philippine Space Agency show heavy flooding in parts of Cotabato and nearby Bangsamoro areas after monsoon rains enhanced by Typhoon Inday (international name: Bavi) soaked large parts of Mindanao. The maps, produced by PhilSA using satellite imagery captured on July 10 at around 5:31 a.m., point to flooded areas in red, flood-affected physical rice areas in pink and flooded other crop areas in brown. Based on the maps, the densest and most extensive visible flooding appears in the Cotabato-Bangsamoro corridor, particularly parts of Cotabato, the Bangsamoro's Special Geographic Area and nearby areas of Maguindanao del Sur. Large flood clusters are also visible in southwestern Lanao del Sur, especially near Balabagan and Malabang, and in parts of Maguindanao del Sur adjoining Cotabato. The agency cautioned, however, that the maps may underestimate flooding in urban and densely vegetated areas because of the complexity of radar backscatter from those surfaces. The maps remain subject to ground validation, PhilSA said. Flood clusters in Mindanao. The strongest concentration of red flooded areas appears in central and eastern portions of the Cotabato-Bangsamoro belt. The map covering Cotabato, Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur shows widespread red and pink markings across low-lying communities, including areas around the Special Geographic Area and nearby towns. Another map covering Maguindanao del Sur and Sultan Kudarat also shows a heavy flood footprint, particularly in eastern sections of Maguindanao del Sur. A separate map of Lanao del Sur shows intense red clusters in the Balabagan-Malabang area. In contrast, maps of the Zamboanga Peninsula and Misamis areas show more scattered red flooding, although several areas still indicate wide stretches of flood-affected rice land. The broadest pink zones—which PhilSA identifies as flood-affected physical rice areas—appear in parts of Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay, as well as sections of Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato. In Lanao del Norte, the maps show extensive pink areas across the Lala-Kapatagan corridor and nearby towns. In Zamboanga del Sur, large pink patches are visible in the Mahayag-Tambulig area and adjoining localities. Zamboanga Sibugay also shows broad affected rice areas around the Diplahan-Imelda-Siay corridor. The patterns suggest that even in areas where floodwaters appear less concentrated, agricultural communities may still have sustained widespread inundation. At least 17 people have died due to landslides induced by cyclone Inday, which entered the Philippine area of responsibility Wednesday, July 8, as a super typhoon. PhilSA said the flood extent analysis used Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar data and artificial intelligence to detect inundated areas. Sentinel-1 is a European Space Agency satellite. SAR, meanwhile, is useful during storms because it can capture images through cloud cover and regardless of daylight conditions. PhilSA said the mapping supports the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in monitoring the situation and helping prioritize response.