Hurricane Ian

[8gv]

Recently there was discussion here about the wind on Winni and a mostly sunk boat.

Hurricane Ian is likely to sink quite a few boats and deposit others inland.

I'd bet there are some folks on this forum who are sitting on the edge of their seat watching the predicted storm track and "spaghetti" models as they are updated every few hours.

After being missed several times in my twenty-two years of SW FL ownership, I have a bad feeling about this one.

So much so that I flew down Sunday afternoon to "prepare".

The boat is on a lift with no other place to go.

I shall put in the plug, tie it down seven ways to Sunday, raise her above the tidal surge level, take off the bimini and go hide.

The last time I did this was for Hurricane Charlie when I was a bit more spry.

For that one I moved all the first floor furniture up to the second floor and barricaded the sliding glass doors with mattresses and heavy items.

I took refuge in the middle of the parking garage at Tampa International Airport.

The work made me dog tired but sleeping in the car was tough.

The phone rang after I had finally nodded off.

It was wifey with the good news (for us anyway) that the storm had turned inland well south of us and we were to get nearly nothing from it!

I expect to shelter in the same garage again for the worst of it but I'm not expecting any jubilant phone calls this time.

In the grand scheme of things, it's just "stuff" but this time I'm pretty sure my stuff is going to get stuffed!

[Sue Doe-Nym]

We are watching intently, but all we can do is hope the storm veers off, as many have in the past. Nothing we can do from here but cross our fingers and hope for the best. We are thinking that this time might be the big one. I hope that the stubborn diehards listen up and leave when they are told to do so, not putting first responders and others at risk. Stay tuned…..

[ApS]

Now a Category 1 (weakest) hurricane: Click link.

Currently aimed at Cedar Key (on coast), Live Oak (inland). So, if you live in those locations, Hurricane Ian will surely miss you!


Many pages of discussions by hurricane-hardened Florida residents:

(See link).

Earlier, the eastward tracking suggested it could follow Hurricane Charley's path. (Peace River, and the badly-affected towns of Punta Gorda and Arcadia).

[TiltonBB]

I am watching intently and checking weather updates with links to WINK News and NBC 2 in Fort Myers.

The updates seem to show some tracking of the storm westward and landfall above Ft. Myers. I hope it keeps going in that direction. (Sorry if that is your area)

https://www.winknews.com/2022/09/23/...g-toward-swfl/

I had a house built last year in Ft Myers and the pool screen cage just went in two weeks ago. It would be a shame if it blew away before I ever got to see it! After the last hurricane the screen people were quoting and scheduling repair jobs a year out.

The trades are already backed up substantially for any work. A hurricane would obviously make that a lot worse. There is a lot of new construction to house the 1,000 people a day moving to Florida.

I am planning to drive to Florida in about a week. I hope for everyone already there that this storm is not a major disaster.

[smith point boater]

We're in Bonita Springs inland 4-5 miles - hopefully just south of where Ian will hit. 2nd floor condo with hurricane shutters already in place. We just (and I mean in the last 2 weeks ) got our roofs replaced from Hurricane Irma in 2017. The insurance companies don't pay without a fight

[TiltonBB]

Originally Posted by smith point boater

We're in Bonita Springs inland 4-5 miles - hopefully just south of where Ian will hit. 2nd floor condo with hurricane shutters already in place. We just (and I mean in the last 2 weeks ) got our roofs replaced from Hurricane Irma in 2017. The insurance companies don't pay without a fight

I hope your association found a good roofer!

I lost the roof on my last Florida house (Estero) during Hurricane Irma. I hired Crowther Roofing to replace it.

Casey Crowther got $1.75 million in PPP loans by submitting fraudulent paperwork. He even listed employees and Social Security numbers that didn't exist.

He bought a $1 million waterfront home and a $750,000 boat. Not the best decisions he could have made. It was all fun and games until the indictment!

Now he is doing 3 years in Federal Prison.

https://www.winknews.com/2021/06/29/...tencing-today/

PS. The new roof leaked and they had to come back 3 times to attempt repairs.

[Bear Guy]

I am one of those watching every update. I live in north central Florida. Today's predicted track of Ian says the eye will pass within a few tens of miles of my house.
I'm 90' above sea level, so no concern of storm surge. But I anticipate widespread and prolonged power outages, and localized flooding, including half my property to be underwater and stay that way for a while.

[8gv]

As I ponder my predicament the Titanic comes to mind.

If I could get my little boat hauled it could get destroyed by being blown off a rack or a building could collapse on it.

It could even be fated for holing by projectile.

It was a good 20 hours that I got to put on it.

At least it got broken in before it gets broken.

[brk-lnt]

Formulating boat plans with the neighbors. I'm going to adjust my Slidemoor's to give me a little more vertical reach. That should accommodate at least 4' of storm surge, which is probably the most we will see.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Formulating boat plans with the neighbors. I'm going to adjust my Slidemoor's to give me a little more vertical reach. That should accommodate at least 4' of storm surge, which is probably the most we will see.

I dont know how close you are to Tampa Bay, but the tidal surge could be much greater than four feet. This depends on whether the eye passes north or south of the opening to Tampa Bay. Right now, it's aimed at Hudson, where my good friends live. They've complained that their beautiful canal-side 3-story is actually quite fragile.

AccuWeather: Strength as the fourth hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.

AccuWeather forecasters warn that the storm will continue to rapidly gain intensity during the next couple of days and is forecast to become a Category 4 behemoth in the Gulf of Mexico by midweek.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurri...lorida/1252603

[8gv]

It looks like there will be severe damage to the homes on Tierra Verde where my place is.

As bad as that may seem I am more concerned with the land (sand really) being washed away.

How does one rebuild when their lot has been relocated into the Gulf?

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by ApS

I dont know how close you are to Tampa Bay, but the tidal surge could be much greater than four feet.

We're on Boca Ciega Bay.
I doubt we'll see storm surge of more than 4 feet here. I do not doubt there will be a lot of damage and clean-up, but I'm not expecting to see insanely high water where we are. Either way, our house is elevated, so the first living level is 12' above ground, and about 16' above normal high tide.

[SAMIAM]

Our place is in Cape Coral.....boat is secure on the lift but not much we can do from here.

[Newbiesaukee]

I wish I could feel more philosophic about this, but we lost our home and almost all our possessions in Andrew. Andrew was a very rapidly moving relatively small hurricane and produced relatively little flooding or storm surge. It was a short lived severe (Cat 5) wind event rather than a water event. I think Ian has the potential for much more destruction for many more people.

[ishoot308]

Praying for all you Florida home owners as it appears Ian will be a category 5 monster when it hits land anytime now...

Dan

[Susie Cougar]

I live in Parrish, Florida which is about 10 miles inland from the Sarasota and Bradenton area. I had my hurricane shutters put up yesterday and I am staying in a hotel just north of Tampa. I hated being at home during hurricane Irma, five years ago, because once your shutters are up it is completely dark and then you lose your power And it’s just terrible. You can’t see what’s going on outside. I couldn’t figure out how to use my radio so I didn’t know what was happening.

The ironic thing is that we have a contract on our house and we are supposed to close in a few weeks; everything is very nerve-racking.

[Redbarn]

Looks like it is going to hit don padro/palm island resort. RIP Rum Bay.

They just finished dredging stump pass from the last hurricane.

[Little Bear]

Last shot from my camera on Marco Island before the power went out at about 10:30 this morning. My boat survived Irma, but I had to replace all the electronics. I don't think I'll be so lucky this time.

[joey2665]

Originally Posted by Little Bear

Last shot from my camera on Marco Island before the power went out at about 10:30 this morning. My boat survived Irma, but I had to replace all the electronics. I don't think I'll be so lucky this time.

Wow. I’m praying for you Little Bear!!!! I sold my house last year and moving into fiddlers creek.


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[fatlazyless]

A hurricane happening known as negative storm surge that removed all the sea water out from Tampa Bay.

http://www.twitter.com/dougie_doowop...19033829138433 ..... 14-second film ..... so, where did the water go? ..... the moving water energy from the hurricane apparently siphoned all the water from www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tampa_Bay

Is that unusual or what.

[winniwannabe]

Never realized that so many on here are snowbirds. Hoping that all of you with homes and boats down there sustain minimal damage. Thoughts are with you> I have a sister in Parrish and hope she's well. Haven't been able to connect today. Blessings to all!

[Susie Cougar]

I live in Parrish but I evacuated to north of Tampa. The latest postings on next-door are that Parrish still has power but is expected to go out momentarily. There are trees down and a lot of flooding. Your sister may or may not be in in evacuation zone. Unless she lives close to a river, she should be fine.

[winniwannabe]

she's on Noble Pl. don't think she's near water. she just texted that her neighbor's pool cage went airborne, don't expect too many more more texts. Thanks Susie. stay safe

[brk-lnt]

So far we have had the lowest tide by far in the last 6 years and what I would call a "typical" storm - winds up to about 40MPH and rain. More to come though.

You can peek in on my dock cam here:

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

[Susie Cougar]

Originally Posted by winniwannabe

she's on Noble Pl. don't think she's near water. she just texted that her neighbor's pool cage went airborne, don't expect too many more more texts. Thanks Susie. stay safe

I looked up Noble Place. She is either in Silverleaf or Kingsfield Lakes development. She is not near any river, she just needs to stay hunkered down and she will be fine.

[steve-on-mark]

My wife's family owns a condo at the Bonita Beach Club. One of the full time residents is sending everyone pictures...looks like the first floor is partially under water, pool buildings and fences are gone.

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[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

So far we have had the lowest tide by far in the last 6 years and what I would call a "typical" storm - winds up to about 40MPH and rain. More to come though.

You can peek in on my dock cam here:

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

Brian;

Just curious why would the tides be so low??..I would think just the opposite with the storm surge??

Still keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Dan

[joey2665]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Brian;

Just curious why would the tides be so low??..I would think just the opposite with the storm surge??

Still keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Dan

The storm before it approaches on the front side pulling water out and on the back side it floods inward


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[gillygirl]

I live in central Florida in the Four Corners area. Winds sustained around 25mph, gusting to 40. Worst is expected shortly through the overnight. Worst part is my ONT box for Wi-Fi decided to die this morning. Thank God for 3 cellular devices.


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[TiltonBB]

It looks like this is "The Big One".

My pool screen cage at a new house was completed two weeks ago. A neighbor says not only are the screens gone but the aluminum structure is down.

Communication is difficult. Lee County Electric, the area around Ft Myers, has 286,000 customers. 280,000 are without power. Cell service is down.

Governor Desantis says 30,000 electric workers are standing by but winds need to be below 5 MPH before they can go up in bucket trucks to begin repairs.

It will be 48 hours before a real sense of what has happened and what the future looks like comes into focus.

[John Mercier]

Well, hopefully the death and serious injury toll will be low...

[ApS]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Cuba-NHC.html

Originally Posted by Newbiesaukee

I wish I could feel more philosophic about this, but we lost our home and almost all our possessions in Andrew. Andrew was a very rapidly moving relatively small hurricane and produced relatively little flooding or storm surge. It was a short lived severe (Cat 5) wind event rather than a water event. I think Ian has the potential for much more destruction for many more people.

Coral Gables was notable for perhaps a hundred uprooted tropical Banyan trees, whose upturned roots reached 60-feet into the sky.

I lived only three miles south of Coral Gables in South Miami. Damage from downed trees meant traffic was mostly at a standstill. Local folks moved windblown debris, so pathways were made for cars and trucks.

My screened porch had the aluminum structure crumpled. That porch was my temporary workplace for restoring a 1960 four-passenger convertibIe. It received nary a scratch!

I was in Wolfeboro at the time, and arrived back in South Miami on the very hour that electricity was restored...Restoring electricity took two weeks!

Neighbors in our little neighborhood pooled resources and had rotating communal BBQs every evening.

Those who experienced Hurricane Andrew have many true stories of the devastation. It was later calculated that Hurricane Andrew had 500 embedded tornadoes!

One wooden sign, designating Fairchild Gardens was retrieved from an airport eight miles away! One reinforced-concrete sill blew off a suburban home's roof, flew over to a neighbor's house, and killed a woman in her kitchen! My late optometrist and skilled race car driver, "Shelly" Dobkin, had his Piper Seminole aircraft break its moorings, and sailed into the woods surrounding the airport. My CPA and her son searched for their lost dog, and after several leads by distant residents, finally found it! Expressing their gratitude, they turned around, and realized they were hopelessly lost. No street signs remained to guide them back home!

Sixty-five people died in Hurricane Andrew.

The accounts go on and on. The only good thing to come out of Hurricane Andrew was a major revision of building codes, which have since been adopted by many counties. Prior building codes were constantly being subverted by the scores of disreputable contractors who built Dade County's hurricane-vulnerable suburban sprawl. I expect the same subversion is going on right now.

And, oh yes, more people will die because of this "wet" hurricane, and the refusal to believe a storm could be so destructive. When told by Sheriffs to evacuate before the bridges were raised, they said they'd "ride it out".

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

I live in Parrish, Florida which is about 10 miles inland from the Sarasota and Bradenton area. I had my hurricane shutters put up yesterday and I am staying in a hotel just north of Tampa. I hated being at home during hurricane Irma, five years ago, because once your shutters are up it is completely dark and then you lose your power And it’s just terrible. You can’t see what’s going on outside. I couldn’t figure out how to use my radio so I didn’t know what was happening. The ironic thing is that we have a contract on our house and we are supposed to close in a few weeks; everything is very nerve-racking.

I had to wait until Hurricane Ian passed you by before I could tell of my tour of southern Dade County. I waited two weeks before going down there. As bad as we had it north of there, it was ten-times worse further south. At least we had street signs!

I drove by a distant landmark, a Holiday Inn. It had four or five floors, but what was remarkable, it no longer had walls. (!) You could see the distant skies directly through the entire building!

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

Brian;

Just curious why would the tides be so low??..I would think just the opposite with the storm surge??

Still keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Dan

The winds were blowing counterclockwise, and very hard, we had sustained winds of 40MPH, and 70+MPH gusts.

With the center of the storm south of us, that meant we had a massively wide all of wind pushing all the water out into the middle of the Gulf. Similarly on the south side of the storm, those same winds were pushing massive amounts of water in.

The winds completely overtook any normal tidal influences. The water level continues to go out, slightly, during the time when we should have been rising to high tide. Same thing happened with Irma, but not as extreme.

We had some minor boat damage, a cleat pulled loose because my Slidemoor didn't have enough track to go so insanely low. It's ugly, but fixable.

Lost power at 6:20PM, will probably be out until some time tomorrow. This is the longest we've ever been without power for, this area is usually fairly resilient. We have a backup generator that can power most of the essentials though. I have enough fuel for probably a day, so we'll see what the situation looks like in the morning.

At this point (12:30 AM) it is looking like it's past us. Water is coming back in, the boat is just barely floating, another 6" or so and it should be fine.

One of my neighbors evacuated to Naples. Stayed in a really nice hotel on the 17th floor. He basically had a front row seat, said the first floor of the hotel is flooded. I saw some pics and videos from it, cars underwater in the parking lot, all the same stuff you're seeing on the news. This storm is going to turn out to be one of the biggest to hit Florida ever.

[TiltonBB]

If you are familiar with the causeway to Sanibel this is an interesting video. It was a beautiful ride but now the road is destroyed in multiple places. It would surprise me if they have it repaired in any less than 6 months and it will probably be a lot longer than that.

For now, without a boat people are stranded.

https://www.fox4now.com/weather/hurr...rath-upon-swfl

[laketrout]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

We're on Boca Ciega Bay.
I doubt we'll see storm surge of more than 4 feet here. I do not doubt there will be a lot of damage and clean-up, but I'm not expecting to see insanely high water where we are. Either way, our house is elevated, so the first living level is 12' above ground, and about 16' above normal high tide.

New Hampshirite and the lakes region could use the rainfall from Ian. As the drought up here continues! I feel for my friends and the people of Florida Impacted-by Ian!

[8gv]

Good news for me, really bad for others...

I got back to my place on Tierra Verde this afternoon to find the power was on and I had ZERO damage!

It turns out that all of the preparations I did were unnecessary, or maybe they weren't?

Tempting a cat 4 monster by not preparing seems to be a bad strategy.

A scant 125 miles south of me there is life altering devastation.

They deserve all the help they can get!

Good luck to the Atlantic coast.

Good riddance Ian!

[smith point boater]

Our complex and unit appear to have survived the storm relatively unscathed. However we are 3-5 miles from different area beaches from Naples to Ft Myers. They are devastated. From news pics and contacts everything west of Rt 41 (the main route from Marco Island to Ft Myers ) has some form of major damage. Bonita Beach Road (10 -12 miles of beach access and homes) is almost totally covered in sand. EVERY beach front restaurant and bar that we patronized is GONE!! Ft Myers Pier is gone (that was a 1/4 mile long pier built on cement pilings). Times Square - the main shopping and tourist area at the end of Ft Myers beach - appears to be totally wiped out. As someone else said access to Sanibel/Captiva island is gone - Whole section of the toll bridge is gone. It will take years for that area to recover - if they ever fully do. Very sad

[WinnisquamZ]

Similar to New Orleans. A decade before things return. Sad


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[steve-on-mark]

Originally Posted by smith point boater

Our complex and unit appear to have survived the storm relatively unscathed. However we are 3-5 miles from different area beaches from Naples to Ft Myers. They are devastated. From news pics and contacts everything west of Rt 41 (the main route from Marco Island to Ft Myers ) has some form of major damage. Bonita Beach Road (10 -12 miles of beach access and homes) is almost totally covered in sand. EVERY beach front restaurant and bar that we patronized is GONE!! Ft Myers Pier is gone (that was a 1/4 mile long pier built on cement pilings). Times Square - the main shopping and tourist area at the end of Ft Myers beach - appears to be totally wiped out. As someone else said access to Sanibel/Captiva island is gone - Whole section of the toll bridge is gone. It will take years for that area to recover - if they ever fully do. Very sad

Couple of pics from Bonita Beach....first is Doc's Beach House under water, 2nd is foundation and concrete floor damage at the Bonita Beach Club... the whole complex is a mess!

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by 8gv

I got back to my place on Tierra Verde this afternoon to find the power was on and I had ZERO damage!

Fortunately that seems to be the summary for our area. As of now, things are 95% back to normal around here, IMO. We didn't even have that many boats break loose in the bay and wash around, overall we've had bigger impacts from previous popup storms than this.

[TiltonBB]

My house is fine compared to many others in Ft. Myers. The pool was not quite complete and the three week old screen cage didn't make it. I am ready to head down but will wait until electric and cable are restored.

Someone just messaged me that a nearby neighborhood just got their power back. I understand the water pressure is very low because a pumping station was submerged.

It will be a long time before things return to normal. Many snowbirds may skip this year. Fort Myers Airport is closed until October 7. The airlines are doing "ferry flights" (No passengers, just a Captain and First Officer) to return the aircraft to many Florida airports.

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by TiltonBB

My house is fine compared to many others in Ft. Myers. The pool was not quite complete and the three week old screen cage didn't make it. I am ready to head down but will wait until electric and cable are restored.

Someone just messaged me that a nearby neighborhood just got their power back. I understand the water pressure is very low because a pumping station was submerged.

It will be a long time before things return to normal. Many snowbirds may skip this year. Fort Myers Airport is closed until October 7. The airlines are doing "ferry flights" (No passengers, just a Captain and First Officer) to return the aircraft to many Florida airports.

Sorry about the damage Tilton….Hopefully everything gets fixed and restored as soon as possible…

Dan

[Sue Doe-Nym]

That’s too bad, TiltonBB. Our complex in Sarasota didn’t even lose power…just minimal standing water, etc, but our daughter, just 15 minutes away still has no power, but no flooding, so we were lucky. My sister and brother in law, however, in Bonita Springs, had flooding so severe that their car floated away, and they had to be rescued from their barrier island….a terrible loss, and they are in their late 80s….too much stress to fully comprehend.

[TiltonBB]

The neighbor says electricity, cable and internet are back on. Heading south tomorrow at about 7AM.

What could possibly go wrong.

[TheProfessor]

Neighbors relative has home in Punta Gorda. On inland waterway.

A double wide manufactured home. About 20 years old.

Zero damage to home. Nothing. Yard trees down. None hit house.

Whilst some others stick built homes are wrecked.

There are building codes. Then there are building codes.

[tis]

We have a cousin in Punta Gorda. Stick built house is fine.

[Susie Cougar]

I came through in pretty good shape. There are some rips in my pool cage screen and I have a 6‘ x 10‘ section where the shingles on the roof came off. It’s tough to get into my neighborhood because some roads are still flooded and not passable. But all in all, it is good. I feel terrible that so many people have had their homes destroyed.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Susie Cougar

I came through in pretty good shape. There are some rips in my pool cage screen and I have a 6‘ x 10‘ section where the shingles on the roof came off. It’s tough to get into my neighborhood because some roads are still flooded and not passable. But all in all, it is good. I feel terrible that so many people have had their homes destroyed.

Glad that you came out with minor damage. Our island neighbors also lost a pool cage screen (I never heard of such a thing) and had a tree down with a branch poking a hole in the roof. A lot of cleanup to be done but no water damage. They consider themselves lucky. OH, no hurricane insurance which may be a common problem.

Alan

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[WinnisquamZ]

Just terrible. Years away from normalcy. Think New Orleans. What does one do with a 40’ boat in your yard filled with diesel fuel


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[searay]

Thanks for posting the video. Damage to the marinas is awful. What will they do with all of these damaged boats. I don’t think anyone has seen this much destruction. The west coast from Venice to Naples approximately 80 miles of shore line damage and inland flooding.

We have a small boat in Venice. I don’t think I will be using much this year. There has to be so much debris in the water.