Satellites capture the aftermath of Irma from space

Irma has been the headline across the country since it formed in the Atlantic almost 2 weeks ago, just after Harvey devastated Houston.  Well now we can see the scars that the storm left behind with our myriad of satellites.  And while the satellites can’t really pick up structural damage necessarily, they can certainly see the planetary scars that large storms like Irma leave behind.  The true color images above are very revealing.  Think of Irma as your feet walking on grass.  If you just walk on the grass, very little is disturbed, much like a small storm.  But then drag your feet on the grass.  The grass is likely flattened, some of it probably pulled out and stripped away leaving brown dirt spots behind.  Well, Irma impacts the surface of the earth much in the same way.  Vegetation on islands like Barbuda, which took Irma’s full fury, are completely stripped clean, revealing the dirt underneath that vegetation.  For the water though, it changes color as rough seas kick up sediment, making the water cloudy, and typically refract more light back into the atmosphere, making it appear a lighter color of blue.  No doubt, areas that took a direct hit from Irma will likely see the effects of this monster storm for several years as locals rebuild and vegetation regrows.