SatSense Flood Map

SatSense Flood Map (also styled FloodMap) is a semi-automated flood detection and mapping system for the UK, launched by SatSense in July 2025. It addresses a gap the provider describes in national flood monitoring: existing systems are fragmented and often delayed, and the UK lacks a comprehensive archive of past flood events.

The system uses Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, which detects flood extents regardless of cloud cover or daylight, combined with high-resolution UK-specific datasets such as the Environment Agency's LiDAR digital surface model, land cover maps and height data. A probabilistic time-series approach estimates the likelihood of flooding for each pixel, and permanent water bodies are distinguished from flooded land. Flood maps are produced at 10–25 m resolution within hours of each Sentinel-1 acquisition, and historical flood maps can be generated from the Sentinel-1 archive back to 2015 for risk assessment and model validation. Outputs are delivered as GeoTIFFs for GIS, or through API and web access.

SatSense reports validating the system against Storm Henk (2024), the January 2023 Somerset floods and the November 2019 Fishlake floods, where its maps aligned closely with Sentinel-2 optical imagery and ground observations. It is currently optimised for rural flooding; extension to dense urban areas is a stated future development. SatSense names emergency services, local councils, flood consultancies and insurers as intended users, and offers feasibility assessments for regions outside the UK.