Following the heavy rains and flooding that wreaked havoc in Kerala, scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have released images which show the state before and after the devastation occurred.

In the image, one can see the heavily impacted areas of Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha as well as the neighboring district of Kottayam as a sea of blue, showing the extent of the flooding.

The first image was taken on February 6 this year, while the second was taken on August 22.

Left: Image taken on February 6 Right: Image taken on August 22

NASA’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite, took the images on February 6, while the second image was taken by European Space Agency’s satellite, Sentinel-2.

The image taken after the floods shows what NASA calls “false-color,” after the waters had flooded the state. False color images show images in a different manner than how normal photographs would make them appear.

A stark contrast can be observed in the two images, with the second one showing an alarming rate of flooding. The water level, represented in a dark blue colour, is shown covering the green lands in the second image.

Earlier, NASA had released a video which showed the severity of the rainfall and noted that the Western Ghats, the position of which enhances rainfall along the west coast of India.

Following the heavy rains which rampaged the state, over 3 lakh people have been forced to relocate to relief camps, of which 1,093 have been set up in the state.

The state is on the way to recovery, with many donations pouring in to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). Many people have stepped forward to contribute their one month’s salary after a call to action by state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a Facebook post. Several groups and companies also set up donation drives for essential items.