Hurricane Milton’s Impact on Florida Buildings Matches or Exceeds Hurricane Helene’s

Hurricane Milton made landfall on October 9th in Florida’s Sarasota County as a Category 3 storm, unleashing destructive winds, tornadoes, storm surges, and severe rainfall. Early data from ICEYE, utilizing SAR satellite imagery, reveals that the number of impacted buildings in Florida may rival or even surpass the 150,000 buildings damaged by Hurricane Helene. Of those, over 13,000 buildings suffered from flooding over 5 feet deep. ICEYE, known for providing near real-time flood data, continues to update their analysis using advanced geospatial tools.

Private insurers are bracing for significant financial losses from the storm, with early estimates ranging from $15 billion to $40 billion. ICEYE’s Flood Insights product, supported by experts in meteorology and hydrology, is delivering critical flood extent and depth information to emergency services, public authorities, and insurance companies, ensuring a coordinated response. However, some areas remain under review, and the full scope of Hurricane Milton’s damage is still unfolding.