Hurricane Ian

[John Mercier]

Sadly, some lives were lost. These people lost the only thing of any real value.
Everything else can be rebuilt but will take some time.

[SAMIAM]

We had pretty much the same fate as Tilton. Pool cage gone, trees down. boat lift cover gone. Very lucky compared to those who lost their homes, business'.....and some lost their lives. Ft Myers Beach is destroyed.
Going down when power is restored to pick up the pieces and help neighbors.

[TiltonBB]

I traveled south on 75 today from north of Tampa to Fort Myers. I was surprised at the number of vehicles obviously there to aid in the support and cleanup of the area.

I expected the National Guard convoys, the long lines of electric trucks from out of state, and the helicopters flying overhead.

I was surprised at the number of out of state registered vehicles obviously there because of the hurricane. The Missouri Methodist Disaster truck? Two tractor trailers with multiple entrance doors down the side labeled sleeping accommodations for 30. Those were followed by two trucks labeled "shower accommodations." There was a convoy of Red Cross trucks with Ohio plates. Many ServPro trucks from out of state. There were a lot of pick ups, some towing trailers with signs like "Disaster Response".

I realize that most of the damage is West of 75 so it really didn't look bad in the area I traveled. At the grocery store I ran into a neighbor who said her jewelry store on Ft Myers beach was destroyed. They won't even allow business owners onto the island until some time next week. They are blocking cars going in so she had someone take her by boat and she ran up to her store and took the diamonds out of the safe.

There were supposed to be offshore powerboat races off of Ft Myers beach October 6- 10. Not going to happen this year!

It is going to be a long time before things are normal again.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by John Mercier

Sadly, some lives were lost. These people lost the only thing of any real value. Everything else can be rebuilt but will take some time.

Today, I read of more than100 from reports noted five days ago.

Fort Myers is short of gasoline, but long on roofing nails everywhere in surrounding counties.

There is an $8 kit available to repair a dozen "found" nails. A "Y" chromosome is needed to repair the affected tire, but it can be repaired while inflated--and no need of a jack.

My Central Florida lakefront property had one big branch land in the yard--no damage, otherwise. Neighbors were jealous that I had electricity, while most neighbors did not.

Structural dock damage here was less than Hurricane Irma in 2017.

[TiltonBB]

While the bridge and causeway to Sanibel is out there are private boats taking people back and forth from the island to the mainland.

I was told yesterday that they will only let you do that if you show a spare propeller and have the ability to change it while out on the Gulf.

There is so much debris, including broken up pieces of the road, that boats operating in that area have sustained a lot of damage. I heard one of the boats struck an underwater object that turned out to be a sunken motor home. That would certainly get your attention!

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

While the bridge and causeway to Sanibel is out there are private boats taking people back and forth from the island to the mainland.

I was told yesterday that they will only let you do that if you show a spare propeller and have the ability to change it while out on the Gulf.

There is so much debris, including broken up pieces of the road, that boats operating in that area have sustained a lot of damage. I heard one of the boats struck an underwater object that turned out to be a sunken motor home. That would certainly get your attention!

The local authorities are also cracking down on non-licensed captains offering rides to the island for cash. So be careful if you're transporting others, or if you pay cash in advance for a reservation.

[smith point boater]

Saw pictures of a temporary bridge they opened to Sanibel yesterday. There was a convoy of what looked to be 100+ utility trucks ready to head over. Not sure if they are allowing residents yet

[TiltonBB]

After seeing video of the Sanibel Causeway following the hurricane it is hard to believe that several hundred trucks were able to drive across from the mainland onto Sanibel yesterday. The massive repair efforts in such a short time are incredible.

Without getting political, the people who put the recovery efforts into place for SW Florida have done a remarkable job.

There is a video in this news story:

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/ne...-temporary-fix

[ApS]

A drive at ground level through Ft. Myers:

https://www.news-press.com/videos/ne...t/10462526002/

[Billy Bob]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

After seeing video of the Sanibel Causeway following the hurricane it is hard to believe that several hundred trucks were able to drive across from the mainland onto Sanibel yesterday. The massive repair efforts in such a short time are incredible.

Without getting political, the people who put the recovery efforts into place for SW Florida have done a remarkable job.

There is a video in this news story:

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/ne...-temporary-fix

Unfortunately it is VERY political. We spend a lot of time on Sanibel, the entire island is made up of very well to do residents and investors. There is no low end area on the island. Ultra rich.
Theses people are inconvenienced by what happened , the same has happened before . But financially they are just fine.
Prioritizing that bridge before all the truely damaged lower income people on the mainland even have a tent to live in have been handled is a stunt we have seen in Florida to often in the past few years.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by Billy Bob

Unfortunately it is VERY political. We spend a lot of time on Sanibel, the entire island is made up of very well to do residents and investors. There is no low end area on the island. Ultra rich.
Theses people are inconvenienced by what happened , the same has happened before . But financially they are just fine.
Prioritizing that bridge before all the truely damaged lower income people on the mainland even have a tent to live in have been handled is a stunt we have seen in Florida to often in the past few years.

I would respectfully disagree that anything is being handled in a manner that relates to net worth.

In the last 10 days I have been out every day in the area from Naples to Cape Coral. The sheer number of support vehicles for utilities, housing, clean up, and financial aid is astounding. They are working in every area without regard to the income level of the victims.

Without the bridge, essential services like food, water, and medical aid were unavailable to anyone stranded on Sanibel. It was important to get that reconstruction started.

[Billy Bob]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

I would respectfully disagree that anything is being handled in a manner that relates to net worth.

In the last 10 days I have been out every day in the area from Naples to Cape Coral. The sheer number of support vehicles for utilities, housing, clean up, and financial aid is astounding. They are working in every area without regard to the income level of the victims.

Without the bridge, essential services like food, water, and medical aid were unavailable to anyone stranded on Sanibel. It was important to get that reconstruction started.

Fun facts , this is the third bridge destroyed by a hurricane in this location in recent memory. The current one is less then ten years old , many of the restaurants and businesses are now being rebuilt for the third time. Our favorite, south seas resort, seems to be closed more then open in the last 20 years.
But we keep pounding government money into rebuilding barrier islands and selling the residents flood insurance. Perhaps we need to slow this down and stop spending billions on shifting sand

[searay]

I always find it interesting when people mention politics during a disaster. Rebuilding the bridge to Sanibel will support many that don't have the means to live on Sanibel. Take a minute and think about who can afford to rebuild and hire people who need to earn a living. It isn't the underprivileged that support the economy.

The millionaires are the economy. The rest of us go along for the ride, pick up the scraps and support our families.

Florida is working in a lot of directions to help everyone. I do agree
that we shouldn't be subsidizing a rebuild on a barrier island. If you can afford to be there then build it back on your own so when it happens again it is on them not us.

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by searay

The millionaires are the economy. The rest of us go along for the ride, pick up the scraps and support our families.

Florida is working in a lot of directions to help everyone. I do agree
that we shouldn't be subsidizing a rebuild on a barrier island. If you can afford to be there then build it back on your own so when it happens again it is on them not us.

You make a good point.

I would add that the "millionaires" who live or own property on Sanibel pay significantly higher insurance rates than people who live a few miles inland. Everyone who owns in Florida is subject to higher insurance rates because of the exposure to hurricanes and history of substantial claims in the state. On the west coast of Florida insurance rates are much lower when you get a few miles from the Gulf. Auto insurance rates in Florida are about double what NH rates are, again because of a higher claims history.

The government has put a lot of disaster relief money into this recovery. However speaking of the "millionaires" on Sanibel that was referenced, those people pay a lot more in taxes too.

It would be interesting to know how much is or was collected in annual property insurance premiums from all Sanibel property owners but I don't know how to find that information. It would also be interesting to know the amount of property and income taxes paid by the Sanibel residents but again, I don't think those numbers are readily available.

There are thousands of people who have come to Florida, working because of the hurricane. They have come from all over the country and I doubt many of them are millionaires.

The insurance adjuster that came to my house was from New Mexico and an engineer who was here yesterday is from Alabama. All of these people rent cars, stay at motels, and eat at local restaurants. This keeps the local economy moving and helps people at all income levels.

[TiltonBB]

If you like boats (and who doesn't) this is just sad to see. Some of these boats were people's homes.

This video is from downtown Ft Myers on the river.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr0VXTWon68

[ApS]

Originally Posted by smith point boater

Saw pictures of a temporary bridge they opened to Sanibel yesterday. There was a convoy of what looked to be 100+ utility trucks ready to head over. Not sure if they are allowing residents yet.

https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/ne...-temporary-fix

As one who has endured hurricanes since Hurricanes Betsy, Carol, Charley, Andrew, Irma, (and many other SE Florida hurricanes since 1961), having power restored to 98.5% of the state in less than a week is remarkable!

As seen through my windshield last Saturday, Hurricane Ian's massive swath cut through South Carolina as well. (Georgia to a lesser extent).

When this hurricane came ashore, it took a right turn and the center passed directly across my little lake! (Although this "little" lake is about three times the size of Winter Harbor). Most here in central Florida were without power for four days.

After four days here, I've identified very little damage; however, I've just learned another nearby neighbor is moving back here to wait out reconstruction on his house in Ft. Myers!

[SailinAway]

Originally Posted by ApS

A "Y" chromosome is needed to repair the affected tire.

Then I advise you to fix the tire quickly. Urgent update from the National Human Genome Research Institute:

"The presence or absence of the Y chromosome is critical because it contains the genes necessary to override the biological default - female development - and cause the development of the male reproductive system. . . . research has shown that [the Y chromosome] is undergoing rapid evolutionary deterioration. Many generations ago the Y chromosome was large, and contained as many genes as the X chromosome. Now it is a fraction of its past size and contains fewer than 80 functional genes. This has led to debates and concerns over the years regarding the Y chromosome's eventual destiny. Many speculate that the Y chromosome has become superfluous and could completely decay within the next 10 million years.