The fast processing, seismic damage data extraction and loss evaluation from RS imagery acquired immediately after a destructive earthquake occurs, are important means for compen-sating the insufficiency of seismic damage information from ground-based investigations and provide an important basis for emergency command and rescue. The paper introduces the method of emergency seismic damage assessment using remote sensing data and its application to the great Wenchuan earthquake of magnitude 8.0 occurring in southwest Sichuan Province on May 12, 2008. The practical effectiveness of the method is also evaluated in the paper.