ICEYE, a company that operates the world’s largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, has partnered with The Water Institute to bring predictive flood intelligence platform FloodID, and its core development team to ICEYE.
Built on Amazon Web Services via an Amazon grant, FloodID blends physics-based hydrologic modelling, machine learning, Earth observation data, and cloud computing to anticipate how flood events evolve from onset to recession.
This integration delivers immediate operational value to the insurance and reinsurance sectors, where flood remains one of the most volatile and financially complex risks.
Thanks to the Flood Early Warning solution, carriers and reinsurers using ICEYE’s services will gain a continuously updated view of portfolio accumulation from 96 hours before an event through peak inundation.
During active floods, ICEYE’s SAR constellation delivers near real-time intelligence through cloud cover, rain, and darkness, providing observed flood extent, water depth, and building-level damage data within hours via Flood Rapid Impact and Flood Insights.
ICEYE’s persistent observation combined with FloodID’s predictive intelligence supports pre-event preparedness, operational decisions during events, and post-event recovery.
By integrating FloodID’s predictive modelling with satellite observations from ICEYE, the system generates an observation-informed forecast that continually refreshes as fresh satellite imagery is received throughout an event.
Rather than depending on a static initial forecast, this dynamic feedback mechanism enables continuous tracking of evolving flood dynamics.
Consequently, decision-makers receive a progressively refined, real-time assessment of event progression and trajectory as new observational data is integrated.
“ICEYE has built its flood intelligence platform around delivering trusted information throughout every stage of a flood event, from early warning through active response and post-event assessment,” said Will Panchaud, ICEYE’s Senior Director of Product Solutions.
“FloodID adds another important dimension to that capability by strengthening our predictive intelligence. Together, we’re giving customers an even richer understanding of what may happen next while continuing to deliver the observed flood intelligence they’ve come to rely on.”
The partnership builds on a powerful track record of collaboration between ICEYE, The Water Institute, and Amazon. While using ICEYE’s Flood Rapid Impact and Flood Insights products in operational deployments, researchers at The Water Institute recognised how combining satellite-based flood observations with FloodID’s predictive models could provide emergency managers with a more complete understanding of evolving flood conditions.
The complementary technologies created an opportunity to bring together observed and predictive intelligence within a single operational workflow.
Hugh Roberts, who previously led the FloodID platform at The Water Institute, joins ICEYE as Head of Predictive Intelligence, to lead the commercial go-to-market efforts for these predictive capabilities.
