TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa native created an interactive map to help homeowners remotely access damage from Hurricane Ian.
Bobby Quinn is a former Air Force weather forecaster and founder of PayPixl, a software company that allows drone pilots and photographers to share their portfolios.
When Hurricane Ian hit Florida in September, he repurposed the site so evacuees could see images of their homes remotely and assess the damage free of charge.
He first saw the need when Hurricane Michael hit Florida in 2018.
"We also saw homeowners had no idea the condition of their homes. They evacuated. They weren't allowed to get back in, cornered off areas, Urban Search and Rescue worked their way through so we saw an opportunity there to help these homeowners," said Quinn.
Quinn rode out Hurricane Ian from his truck in North Port.
"What was surprising about that storm was the amount of wind and the amount of rain. It just didn't quit. It was relentless," said Quinn. "I wanted to be in place as the hurricane was passing. I wanted to be one of the first people in that way. I didn't get stopped at checkpoints going in."
Quinn drove more than 100 miles and took nearly 8,000 photos of the Rotonda West community in Charlotte County.
"I drove 117 miles, over 9 hours taking 8,000 images or so then getting them up to the map as soon as we possibly could and people that were in that area whether they had family or their own homes in that area could go to the map for free and just check on their property and see what it looked like after the storm," said Quinn.
Quinn said he had help creating the interactive map. He worked with SkyFi, a company that makes high-resolution satellite images. He also worked with Esri, a mapping software company.
"Right now, we're looking to partner with non-profits that need drone imagery across the country, and we're really excited about being able to expand our services to cover for any major storms in the future," said Quinn.
"The goal is to alleviate the concerns and anxiety that come with major storms for homeowners that aren't able to access their property for weeks at a time, sometimes."
For more information on PayPixl, click here.