PHOTOS: Hurricane Helene stirs up Florida Gulf Coast waters

Video above: Hurricane Helene as seen from space September 26

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Helene’s impact on Florida’s Gulf Coast can be seen from space, even a week after the storm made landfall.

The VIIRS and NOAA-21 satellites captured photos of Florida before and after the storm, showing off stunning differences.

The powerful Category 4 storm churned up sediment on the sea floor along the coast. According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, light reflecting off those particles is what makes the water appear bright blue.

Helene’s storm surge and runoff from flooding carried even more particles into the ocean.

The first photo above was taken on September 22 and the second was taken on September 29.

NASA staff noted that the blue sheen visible in the “before” photo is the reflection of light off sea grass beds, the seafloor and coral reefs.

“Some of the darkest areas near rivers might be colored by dissolved organic material,” NASA staff wrote. “The region’s blackwater rivers, for example, are rich with decaying vegetation and other organic matter, and their stained water can become flushed into the ocean during heavy rains.”

Sediment swirls were still visible on October 3, a week after Helene made landfall.

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