Details of hurricane Ian's aftermath captured with new remote sensing method

Using aerial imagery data and LiDAR, a study remotely identified the hardest-hit areas of Southwest Florida's Estero Island in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Researchers estimated the extent of structural damage and compared pre- and post-storm beach structural changes. They identified 2,427 structures that were impacted. The value of the heavily damaged structures was estimated at more than $200 million. The study has applied an advanced multi-faceted approach that links damage assessment to post-storm change in the structure of barrier islands.