Internal strain measurements in cross-ply carbon-epoxy composite plates under dynamic loads are carried out using embedded FBG sensors. The principle of the FBG interrogation is based on intensity demodulation achieved via a Fabry-Perot filter. To account for the non-linearity of the filter, the system is calibrated and the amplitude of the strain data is validated. Strains are acquired at a rate of 100 kHz with a noise level as low as 2 mu epsilon and used for modal analysis and strain monitoring in low energy impact. The experimental results under impact and modal analysis compare very well with pertinent numerical models and modal analysis obtained from laser vibrometer measurements. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.