Satellite imagery shows Milton flood losses similar to Helene but wind losses likely larger

Flood losses following Hurricane Milton currently appear similar in scale to those experienced in the aftermath of Helene, which impacted 150,000 buildings in Florida, according to Andy Read, vice president of government solutions at satellite data specialist ICEYE.

“So far, what we're seeing is a commensurate loss [between Milton and Helene], but those numbers are still dynamic, given the fact that rivers are peaking,” he told The Insurer TV.

“Milton obviously had a huge wind component. I think the wind losses could be very significant there. Helene, I think we're going to probably see more flood losses.”

The extent of insured damage from Milton remains uncertain following the storm’s landfall in Sarasota County late on Wednesday.

Milton’s landfall to the south of Tampa Bay meant its storm surge impacts were largely felt further south along the coast.

“We saw severe impacts from Helene from the surge in the St Petersburg and Pinellas areas,” he said.

“But for Milton, the more severe surge was further south, impacting areas with less population with severe surge there rather than sending that into Tampa.”

He said the data showed severe storm surges south of Venice down to the Englewood area on Florida’s west coast, where the surge likely exceeded 10 feet in coastal neighborhoods.

“It’s been devastating – there are many images circulating of sand being pushed into these areas, combined with the destructive surge impacts," Read said.

He added that satellite imagery showed which areas had suffered damage from both Helene and Milton.

"We have a good understanding of the areas affected by both hurricanes, especially from a flood depth perspective. We're seeing some overlap in Sarasota, St Petersburg, Pinellas County, and parts of Tampa as well," Read said.

He added that much of the flood damage from both storms will be uninsured. “The unfortunate reality is that a lot of folks are not insured for flood in the US or they purchase that insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program,” he said.