The efforts of first responders - across public safety, energy utilities, critical infrastructure, and beyond - to protect and restore their communities in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton have been nothing short of heroic. These brave men and women are relying on every tool available to them and drones are playing a crucial supporting role in their efforts. Having the privilege to stand alongside assisting as they navigate unimaginable scenarios served to motivate Skydio to send a team of volunteers to the hardest hit areas to bring more drones and provide support.
Responding to Hurricane Helene
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. It rained over 20 inches in less than 24 hours, resulting in the river flooding 31 feet above its normal level. This put entire residential and commercial neighborhoods completely underwater.
Under the leadership of Chief Mike Lamb and Captain Brandon Moore, the Asheville Police Department (APD) used drones extensively for search and rescue, damage assessment, and overwatch for various operations across agencies and organizations. For example, they provided overwatch for FEMA crews performing rescues along a dangerously swollen river. And central coordination ensured that the right resources were sent to the right place at the right time while keeping responders out of harm's way. At times, there were as many as 10 drones in the air, providing live video feeds and enabling rapid decision-making through centralized coordination.
X10 surveying the Wood Avenue Bridge in Asheville, North Carolina (at 4x speed)
Energy utilities such as Southern Company and Duke Energy used drones to quickly assess damage across its facilities.
Duke Energy services North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee
Responding to Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton followed closely after Helene, and Skydio quickly mobilized to provide support to customers in need of additional hands. Eleven Skydians from around the country joined eight team members local to Florida, many of whom were on the frontlines within the first 12 hours after the storm.
Our cross-functional emergency response team set up operations alongside other vendors, out-of-state organizations, federal, and local agencies at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Command Center in western Florida, pre-positioning equipment to ensure a rapid response. Equipped with Skydio X10 drones, Starlink units, and a couple of RVs stocked with resources to self-sustain, the team was able to assist over a dozen local and federal agencies in real-time following the storm. Over the course of the five days immediately following the storm, Skydians racked up 30+ hours of flight time across 170+ individual flights in support of first responders.
First responders tasked Skydio drones with assessing flooding, monitoring structural damage, and providing overwatch for ongoing search and rescue missions. According to our internal analytics, 16 agencies flew just shy of 200 flight hours in the first few days after the storm. This represented over 1,000 flights with 94 drones, flown by over 80 unique operators.
One particular night, as a waterway threatened to crest in Pasco County, first responders used drones to provide live overwatch while boats moved in to rescue those trapped by the floodwaters. The ability to gather real time video footage from drones gave officers the information they needed to make quick, informed decisions, minimizing the risks to both responders and residents.
St. Petersburg
Our team was also on hand with the St. Petersburg Police Department and used Skydio 3D Scan to help assess damage to structures across the city, including Tropicana Field and a downtown building impacted by a crane collapse.
Skydio X10 scanning the Tampa Bay Times’ building and damage caused by the impact of the crane (at 4x speed)
Digital twin of the Tampa Bay Times’ building, generated from ~1,300 images captured in <37 mins using Skydio 3D Scan
Skydio X10 inspects damage at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg after winds destroyed the roof (at 3x speed)
Manatee County
A gasoline holding facility near Port Manatee in Manatee County presented a major HAZMAT risk. The floating roof on a benzine tank sank, posing a significant fire hazard. Rich Gatanis, HAZMAT Technician and UAS Coordinator at Southern Manatee Fire & Rescue, and his team provided crucial overwatch with drones over two days, monitoring the situation as responders worked to mitigate the danger.
Duke Energy response
Duke Energy also experienced a massive impact in the Tampa Bay region with over 40,000 structures damaged. Ten UAS teams consisting of 25 pilots conducted missions across the region. ReadyLink live streaming allowed remote inspection teams back at Duke HQ in Charlotte, NC to observe and assess the damage in real time. This capability streamlined the response needed for the field teams to help restore services efficiently.
Drones for emergency response
In both hurricanes, it wasn’t the technology itself but the first responders using it who made the difference. Drones serve as a force multiplier to give agencies the situational awareness they need to safely cover more ground, more effectively assess damage, track floodwaters, and guide search and rescue efforts – all while keeping stakeholders informed. With ReadyLinks, agencies are able to share live feeds with leadership from across the state, including the governor’s office, giving a common operating picture and real-time aerial intelligence to hasten the deployment of resources when and where they’re needed most.
Experiencing all of this firsthand reinforced that the concept of drones in public safety is not a vision for the future—it is the present solution. Skydio is committed to ensuring that autonomous drone technology plays an integral role in emergency response and recovery efforts. From mapping flooded areas to monitoring critical infrastructure, the potential applications are vast, and we are proud to partner with the agencies and organizations at the forefront of the frontlines.
Kabe Termes is Sr. Director of Solutions Engineering at Skydio.
