# Insurance claims verification with satellite data After a flood, storm or wildfire, satellite images show which areas were affected and, at very high resolution, how badly buildings were damaged. Insurers compare the location of each claim with this event footprint, send loss adjusters where they are needed most and look again at claims that do not fit. Drones and site visits add the detail. ## Where it helps After a flood, storm or wildfire, claims from a whole region arrive at the same time, and loss adjusters cannot visit every site at once. The claims team has to decide which cases to settle quickly, where to send adjusters first and which claims need a second look. Satellite data answers the first question behind all three: where did the event actually hit? Earth observation maps the footprint of an event, which supports damage assessment and claims management [1]. ESA names the validation of insurance claims after natural disasters as one use of satellite data, and the identification of damage after an event is one of the areas its business applications projects address [2]. ## How claims verification works 1. **Map the footprint.** Satellite images taken after the event show the affected area, for example the flooded or burnt area. Radar satellites such as Sentinel-1 deliver images in all weather, by day and night, and flooded areas become visible when images from several dates are compared [5]. 2. **Locate the claims.** Each claim is placed on the map by its address or coordinates and compared with the footprint. 3. **Grade the damage.** Where the decision needs it, very high resolution images, at 1 m or better, show damage to buildings and infrastructure [4]. 4. **Add detail on site.** GNSS-enabled drones gather data before and after an event for claims assessment [1], and loss adjusters assess the individual damage. **Figure:** Illustrative map, not real data. The flood extent along the river, the insured buildings inside it, and reported damage outside the extent that needs a second look. ## Which data and satellites - **Radar images** for floods, because they see through clouds and at night [5]. - **Optical images** at high or very high resolution for damage to buildings and infrastructure [4]. - **Terrain models**, which improve flood maps and allow estimates of water depth [6]. - **Public emergency maps** of event extent and damage from the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, where an activation covers the region [3]. - **Drone imagery** with GNSS positions, for detail where satellites are not enough [1]. ## What you get - A footprint of each event, with its date and source. - The claims inside and outside the footprint, as a list for the claims team. - A priority order for loss adjusters, based on where damage is most likely and most severe. - A documented basis for each decision, which helps when a claim is disputed. ## Limits **Limits** - **The first image is not always a good one:** Emergency mapping uses the first available satellite image, which may be partly covered by clouds, taken at a steep angle or cover only part of the area. Images from before the event are not always available \[4]. - **Radar does not see water everywhere:** Radar sensors are not equally sensitive to flood water on every land surface, and optical sensors are limited by clouds \[6]. A footprint can therefore miss flooded areas. - **A footprint is not a verdict:** Satellite images show the area and the visible damage, not the damage inside a building. A claim outside the footprint is a reason to look again, not proof of fraud. ## How we help In [strategy and use cases](https://leto.space/consulting/strategy/) we check where satellite data saves time or money in your claims process and which data your region needs. In [implementation](https://leto.space/consulting/implementation/) we test the process on a past event, compare it with the claims you settled, and take it into operation. To find providers of event footprints and damage maps, [Spacegraph](https://leto.space/spacegraph/), our discovery platform, has a use-case category "Disaster response & damage". ## Related use cases - [Assessing climate risk for properties and assets](https://leto.space/use-cases/property-climate-risk/): The risk before the event: flood and wildfire exposure of insured assets. - [Rapid damage mapping after disasters](https://leto.space/use-cases/disaster-rapid-mapping/): How Copernicus maps an event within hours or days. - [Mapping flood risk and early warning](https://leto.space/use-cases/flood-risk-mapping/): Flood maps and forecasts before the water arrives. - [Satellite data in insurance and finance](https://leto.space/industries/insurance-and-finance/): All use cases for insurers, banks and investors. ## Frequently asked questions ### How can insurers verify claims after floods or storms with satellite data? Earth observation maps the footprint of an event, the area affected, which supports damage assessment and claims management [1]. Each claim is then located and compared with the footprint. ESA names the validation of insurance claims after natural disasters as one use of satellite data in insurance [2]. ### Can satellites show the damage to a single building? Only with very high resolution imagery. The Copernicus Emergency Management Service uses images with a resolution of 1 m or better for detailed assessments of damage to infrastructure, and images between 4 and 10 m for large-area flood mapping [4]. Damage inside a building, or to its contents, is not visible from space. ### Can insurers use the Copernicus emergency maps? Only authorised users can activate the Copernicus rapid mapping service, but its data and results are freely available for viewing and download, except for sensitive activations [3]. Where an activation covers your claims region, its flood or damage maps are a free first footprint. How the service works is described in [rapid damage mapping after disasters](https://leto.space/use-cases/disaster-rapid-mapping/). ## Sources 1. [EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 1, EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2026-05-26](https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/EU_Space_Market_Report_2026.pdf) 2. [ESA Space Solutions: Space for finance and insurance, European Space Agency (ESA), ESA Space Solutions, accessed 2026-10-06](https://business.esa.int/finance-and-insurance) 3. [About the Copernicus EMS On-Demand Mapping service, Copernicus Emergency Management Service, accessed 2026-10-07](https://mapping.emergency.copernicus.eu/about/) 4. [Using Earth Observation Data, Copernicus Emergency Management Service, accessed 2026-10-06](https://mapping.emergency.copernicus.eu/about/using-of-earth-observation-data/) 5. [Sentinel-1, European Space Agency (ESA), accessed 2026-10-06](https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-1) 6. [Recommended Practice: Flood Mapping with Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Imagery and Digital Terrain Models, UN-SPIDER (United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs), accessed 2026-10-06](https://un-spider.org/advisory-support/recommended-practices/recommended-practice-flood-mapping-sentinel-1-and-sentinel-2) Page: