TAMPA, Fla. - The extent of damage from Hurricane Helene’s historic storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast is becoming more clear now that the federal government is publishing detailed aerial photos taken during post-storm survey flights.
Imagery posted on an interactive map was taken by NOAA’s Remote Sensing Division "to support NOAA homeland security and emergency response requirements" after the storm. The photos – taken during long sweeps by planes starting on Friday – cover most of the coast from Panama City all the way down to Port Charlotte, including a detailed look at Tampa Bay.
NOAA’s website allows users to zoom in on a map and toggle between the "before" and "after" photos to easily see damage to the coastline and structures.
LINK: See the interactive maps
Big Bend landfall damage
Hurricane Helene made landfall Thursday night near Perry, Florida as a destructive Category 4 hurricane. While that stretch of coast is not heavily populated, the NOAA photos show devastating destruction to the few neighborhoods in the region.
The storm flattened homes and structures, sending piles of debris into the canals and waterways.
Tampa damage
The detailed photos show an updated look at downtown Tampa, South Tampa, and Hillsborough County’s south shore areas, parts of which saw up to 6 feet of storm surge as Helene headed to landfall.
Helene’s storm surge had receded by the time of the NOAA overflights, so the most obvious sign of damage from the air is normally radiant blue swimming pools filled with brown or black water left behind by the floodwater.
Some burned homes are also visible in the photos, including one on Davis Islands that was blamed on an electric vehicle that came into contact with the saltwater surge.
Other views of South Tampa show piles of flood-soaked debris lining sidewalks outside of homes that saw up to 3 feet of water wash in from canals and the bay.
Pinellas County damage
Sand-filled roads and parking lots are the most striking sign of damage along the Pinellas County beaches. From Pass-a-Grille up through Clearwater, lots that would normally be filled with cars are instead covered with tan sand, punctuated by the occasional backhoe or dump truck working to clear the debris.
Beach chairs, umbrellas, and even boats can be seen dotting the shore outside of resorts and homes along the coast. Rescue boats and emergency crews are visible using parking lots of the iconic Don CeSar Resort as a staging area.
Not surprisingly, much of historic Egmont Key appears to still be underwater as of the Sept. 29 flight.
Sarasota - Manatee damage
The barrier islands along Manatee and Sarasota counties were also inundated with surge. Like their neighbors to the north, brown pools and sand-covered roads are obvious in photos of Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach, and communities towards Sarasota.
NOAA’s interactive damage map can be found at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sep24/ngs-storm-imagery-helene.html. Note that it may be easier to navigate the site from a desktop computer instead of a mobile device. More details: https://storms.ngs.noaa.gov/