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Tracking Hurricane Ian
This may too early a start for the latest hurricane bearing down on Florida, but the last time we had a major threat of a hurricane that hit some of the state pretty hard, one of our Rico members put up a post so that the many Floridians who were impacted could regularly update us (assuming they could get online).
As of 1:30pm, Tuesday, this came from weather.com:
There remain uncertainties regarding exactly where and when Ian will move ashore in Florida. But there are trends in this forecast that are important.
First, forecast models are trending a landfall farther south and east along the coast of western Florida. That would bring Ian’s center onshore in western Florida sooner, possibly sometime later Wednesday or early Thursday.
Second, a sooner landfall would mean a stronger hurricane landfall, at least at Category 3 intensity, as wind shear wouldn’t have enough time to degrade it somewhat. This increases the danger for southwest Florida, including Charlotte Harbor and Fort Myers.
That said, a track near the left (west) side of the cone below could still be a near worst-case storm surge scenario for the Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater area.
Regardless, Ian will be a large and dangerous major hurricane as it approaches the coast with life-threatening, major impacts.
We’re bundled up and tied down, and just have to fill the bathtub. We are in Central Florida, Polk County, and expect to get lots of rain and wind. I have to admit I’m a bit nervous, but there’s nothing much else to do but wait and see.
If anyone else in Florida would like to report in, please do.
Published in General
We seemed to have dodged the bullet again. The winds are still blowing outside, but the worst seems to be over. At midnight I went to check our lanai; we had 1-2″ of water to about halfway up to the house. At 4am, most of the water had drained through the little openings we had put in a couple of years ago. Well worth it!
I hope that everyone else in FL is coming through with minimum problems, and that those farther up the coast will be safe. Please follow instructions and stay safe!
So are local high schools . . .
This camera is down.
As is a lot of Florida.(Except for the water levels which are high and rising.)
Praying.
Video of devastation at Sanabel, Florida. Includes the shot of the now collapsed bridge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk1LKxcNtMU
CarolJoy, that’s unbelievable. How awful for those folks!
On the plus side, it is a tourist-y area, so a lot of the wiped out buildings are probably vacation homes, motels and hotels.
Yet there would also be people who live there year round and for whatever reason, did not evacuate in time.
And the destruction involves a lot more in Florida than this one island.