Hurricane Solution FAQ for insurers

For decades, the insurance industry has been waiting for the skies to clear after a hurricane. Claims teams were stuck relying on flyovers, manual reports, or model-based estimates, all arriving too late to accelerate response.

That delay isn’t just a frustration. It drives up operating costs, prolongs settlements, and leaves policyholders in the dark when they need answers most.

At ICEYE, we set out to solve this problem at the source. Powered by the world’s largest synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite constellation, our new Hurricane Solution offers near real-time, multi-peril observations across the entire footprint of the storm.

Below, we answer nine of the most common questions we hear from claims, risk, and cat modeling teams exploring how this fits into their hurricane response strategy.

Here’s what we will cover. 

1. What kind of data can you expect to receive from ICEYE?
2. How quickly is the data delivered after a hurricane?
3. How can you access the data?
4. What hurricanes does the product cover?
5. Can this data be used for both flood and wind claims?
6. How granular is the data?
7. What makes this different from existing hurricane models or satellite products?
8. How does this product compare to traditional aerial or optical sources?
9. How can all this directly benefit insurers?

Let’s start with the basics.

1. What kind of data can you expect to receive from ICEYE?

The Hurricane Solution is composed of two geospatial data products.

• Hurricane Rapid Impact includes:
  
  
  • A 30-meter resolution raster heatmap, where each cell contains a damage score based on change detection
    
    
  • A 500-meter vector hex grid, which aggregates the damage scores to give a holistic neighborhood-level view across the whole event footprint
    
    
• Flood Insights complements this with:
  
  
  • Flood extent and building-level flood depth layers, available in both raster and vector formats
    
    
  • Full coverage of observed flooding throughout the duration of the event
    
    

These layers offer a comprehensive, multi-peril view, helping insurers understand the impacts of wind and water at speed and scale.

2. How quickly is the data delivered after a hurricane?

For qualifying hurricanes, ICEYE delivers the first release within 24 hours of landfall, with subsequent updates every 24 hours as more data becomes available. Each release expands coverage, supporting insurers in moving from rough estimates to precise response while the event is still active.

In most cases, this means insurers can identify large losses and initiate triage while skies are still overcast, gaining a multi-day head start on claims and resource decisions.

3. How can you access the data?

We understand every company has different systems and workflows, so we offer multiple access points:

• API access: For teams integrating data directly into GIS or claims systems, our file delivery API enables automated ingestion as each new release becomes available.
  
  
• ArcGIS Online viewer: This is the easiest option, with no setup required. We send you a link and a login to explore the data in your browser.
  
  
• Docsend: We also offer direct downloads through secure Docsend access for pilot programs or less technical environments.

Our Solutions and Customer Success teams are available to help configure the best option for your needs.

4. What hurricanes does the product cover?

ICEYE’s Hurricane Solution is available for Category 1 or stronger hurricanes that impact the United States or its territories.

Coverage typically includes:

• All U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coast states
  
  
• Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and other inhabited territories
  
  
• Up to 100 miles inland, depending on the storm's size and trajectory
  
  

Our pre-imaging strategy means the radar constellation is already watching high-risk areas before storms hit, ensuring we can move fast when activation thresholds are met.

5. Can this data be used for both flood and wind claims?

Yes, and that’s the game-changer. ICEYE’s Hurricane Solution enables you to triage claims more accurately from the start. This means that you could:

• Identify complex claims that combine wind and flood
  
  
• Prioritize large commercial losses
  
  
• Match adjuster skill sets to observed damage severity
  
  
• Make early decisions on provisional payments
  
  

This isn’t a replacement for adjusters—it’s the intelligence layer that ensures you send the right resources to the right places.

6. How granular is the data?

Granular enough to see building-level changes, but flexible enough to scale up for portfolio-wide assessments.

• The 30m raster heatmap shows detailed structural change at the block level.
  
  
• The hex grid layer rolls that data up into a regional overview, helping you find pockets of severe impact and assess the concentration of losses.
  
  
• In flood-affected areas, the flood depth footprint provides estimated water levels in inches, down to the building level, so you can anticipate damage severity and plan accordingly.
  
  

The end result is a scalable data foundation that works whether you're analyzing a ZIP code or a whole region.

7. What makes this different from existing hurricane models or satellite products?

While many systems rely on forecast-based models or proxy data, ICEYE delivers observations—measured information captured before and after the event to help users understand what actually happened. It can be used as a reliable data point for benchmarking other estimates, e.g., pre-event models.

We’re not just giving you images or models but delivering observed geospatial data that plugs directly into your workflows, from event response to reporting.

8. How does this product compare to traditional aerial or optical sources?

Timeliness is one thing, and scale is another.

Aerial imagery is often delayed by days due to weather and airspace restrictions. Even when it becomes available, the coverage is usually limited to specific zones, often selected based on assumptions or prior exposure maps. That means early flights can miss entire areas of heavy loss.

With ICEYE’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation, satellites can image the storm footprint through cloud cover, darkness, and smoke, capturing thousands of square miles at once. We cover entire hurricane swaths—up to 100 miles inland—delivering the clarity you need, exactly when you need it.

9. How can all this directly benefit insurers?

The value of ICEYE’s Hurricane Solution isn’t just in how fast it arrives, it’s in how much insurers can do with it. Within a few hours of landfall, our customers receive impact data granular enough to make material decisions across the full extent of the storm.

ICEYE’s radar satellites collect data regardless of cloud cover or time of day, which means the data keeps flowing while other sources are grounded.

Insurers applying the solution during live events have used it to:

• Prioritize event response: Know which neighborhoods or commercial zones were hardest hit before claims start arriving.
  
  
• Accelerate loss estimation: Kickstart internal and external reserving with observed data rather than modeled assumptions. Gain early visibility into severity and concentration of losses.
  
  
• Optimize resource planning: Based on observed damage, decide faster whether to activate CAT teams, engage third-party adjusters, or pre-position field agents.
  
  
• Target resource deployment: Send the right resources to the right places. Use flood vs. wind insights and damage gradation to match adjusters to loss types and severities.
  
  

Would you like to know more? 

Book a demo with our Solutions Team to see the ICEYE Hurricane Solution in action before the next storm hits. We’ll show you how the product works, how you could integrate it with your portfolio, and how it can make your next hurricane response smarter, faster, and more confident.

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Hurricane Solution Info Pack for Insurers

Comprehensive Hurricane impact data within 24 hours of landfall

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