Skytek’s Revolutionary AI System Delivers Rapid, Real-Time Damage Assessments for Insurers After Hurricane Milton
In the wake of Hurricane Milton, Skytek’s innovative machine learning system has transformed how damage assessments are conducted for insurers, providing crucial information quickly. As Hurricane Milton devastated coastal areas, causing widespread destruction, insurers needed immediate and accurate assessments to evaluate the scale of property damage. Skytek’s technology, combining advanced algorithms and real-time satellite imagery, became an indispensable tool, delivering critical loss data just 48 hours after the storm passed.
The Challenge of Post-Storm Damage Assessment
Historically, post-disaster damage assessments have been time-consuming and often imprecise, relying on on-the-ground evaluations and manual surveys that can take weeks to finalise. Hurricane Milton, with its powerful winds, heavy rains, and storm surges, left thousands of homes and businesses severely damaged. Insurers urgently needed a system to provide rapid, reliable damage assessments to respond efficiently.
Skytek’s Cutting-Edge Technology
Skytek’s AI-powered system revolutionised the process, offering a faster and more accurate alternative. Leveraging satellite data, Skytek’s machine learning algorithms compared pre- and post-storm imagery to provide a comprehensive overview of property damage. Unlike traditional models that depend on theoretical projections, Skytek’s system incorporates real-time data, enabling it to differentiate between actual damage and forecasted impacts.
For Hurricane Milton, Skytek’s system analysed a vast area over Pinellas, Sarasota, and St. Lucie Counties of approximately 4,100 square kilometres, covering 458,446 buildings. The machine learning model categorised these structures into three damage levels:
- “Red” Buildings: Severe damage requiring extensive repairs or rebuilding—7,873 buildings, or 2% of those assessed.
- “Amber” Buildings: Moderate damage that requires repair—19,286 buildings, representing 4%.
- “Green” Buildings: Minimal or no damage, totalling 431,287 buildings, or 94%.
Real-Time Data for Faster Recovery
Within two days of the storm, the system delivered detailed assessments for the most severely impacted areas, including Sarasota County and Ft. Myers which faced intense winds and flooding, as well as St. Lucie County, which was struck by multiple tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Milton.
These insights allowed insurers to begin processing claims based on reliable data, speeding up the distribution of funds and recovery resources. By pinpointing areas with the most severe damage, the system facilitated the allocation of recovery efforts more efficiently.
Transforming the Insurance Industry
Skytek’s revolutionary AI system marks a turning point in disaster response for insurers. By delivering rapid, real-time damage assessments, the technology has dramatically reduced the time it takes to evaluate losses and begin recovery efforts. As climate change continues to intensify storms like Hurricane Milton, innovative tools like Skytek’s will be crucial for managing risks and providing faster support to affected communities.
Ft. Myers damage overview
Sytek’s innovative AI damage detection system identified Ft. Myers as one of the hardest-hit areas following Hurricane Milton. The system analysed high-resolution imagery, generating a detailed damage overlay that illustrates the extent of destruction in the Manasota Key, Ft. Myers region, as shown below. This advanced technology improves the accuracy and efficiency of damage assessments, facilitating timely and effective responses while accurately determining exposure levels after a natural catastrophe event.
Indian Creek, Fort Myers Beach, FL
Properties in Indian Creek, Fort Myers Beach, FL, suffered significantly more damage from Hurricane Milton due to several key factors as identified by Skytek’s damage detection system. The median home price in the area was approximately $493,500, reflecting a market where many homes are manufactured or mobile, which are generally less resilient to high winds and flooding compared to traditional site-built homes. With wind speeds reaching up to 120 mph at landfall, the intensity of the storm compromised weaker structures. Additionally, Indian Creek’s geographical layout, being close to the coast and at lower elevations, increased its vulnerability to storm surges and flooding. The community is also situated in a higher risk flood zone, making it more susceptible to severe weather impacts.
Skytek illustrates in the figure below the high-resolution imagery of the Indian Creek area following Hurricane Milton, with a damage overlay superimposed to emphasise the extent of destruction.
Manasota Key Road
Properties along Manasota Key Road in Englewood, Florida, are distinguished by their luxurious single-family homes with waterfront access, appealing to affluent buyers. These residences feature a variety of construction types that prioritise durability, utilizing high-quality materials such as stone, wood, and glass to enhance both aesthetic appeal and longevity. Recent constructions often showcase contemporary architectural styles with open floor plans, while some older homes have been extensively renovated to blend classic charm with modern amenities. The market prices for these properties reflect their quality and desirable location, typically ranging from approximately $2 million to over $4 million, depending on size and proximity to the water.
The property located at 6970 Manasota Key Rd, Englewood, FL 34223, USA is a 3,000 square foot single-family home with three bedrooms, valued at approximately $3.3 million, and the Skytek’s damage detection system has highlighted during the analysis.
Initial analysis of reference imagery indicates that approximately 12% of the roof sustained damage due to Hurricane Helene, as illustrated in the image below.
Shortly after Hurricane Milton swept through Florida, Skytek acquired high-resolution post-event imagery, revealing that the property experienced total destruction. The machine learning-based comparative analysis of consecutive images tracked the property’s condition from the start of the hurricane season, identifying initial roof damage linked to the strong winds of Hurricane Helene, and culminating in a complete loss following Hurricane Milton’s passage. The image below illustrates the property’s status, showcasing the effectiveness of Skytek’s proprietary machine learning damage detection system. This technology rapidly identifies clusters of damage across large areas, facilitates detailed single-property assessments, and enhances claims analysis for consecutive natural disaster events by distinguishing the specific damage caused by each event, thereby streamlining the claims process.
