WEATHER -- July 4, 2012 at 1:17 PM EDT

Before and After Satellite Images Show Storm Effects

By: Vanessa Dennis

NASA Earth Observatory released satellite images that show the power outages in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area that occurred as a result of a rare, fast-moving "derecho" thunderstorm system on Friday, June 29th.

These images were taken with the day/night band of S-NPP's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). The Suomi NPP satellite was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on October 28th, 2011 and is the result of a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Defense.

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