The Devastation of Palu, Indonesia

This image shows the city of Palu, Indonesia before and after the 7.5 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that occurred on September 28^th. Exemplifying the impact of this disaster, we see the drastically increased sediment load washing out of the river. This is identified by the shift in the water color from brownish-blue to a distinct earthen-brown. Comparing the coastline in the two images, large swaths of beach and structures have completely disappeared. Upon closer look, the bridge at the mouth of the river has either collapsed or is flooded, which has implications on access to emergency services and transportation. Along the perimeter of the city there are also clear signs of landslides; where buildings once stood we now only see brown earth. While this image does not give an on the ground look of the devastation individuals are facing in the wake of this disaster, it is important because it gives us a larger city-wide view of the destruction. The large plume of sediment washing away also has implications for the state of the landscape in areas not included in this image, further upstream.