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CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (Sept. 26, 2022) – Charlotte County Emergency Management has issued evacuation orders for residents in Zone A - Red areas. This includes those living on the barrier islands of Don Pedro Island, Knight Island (Palm Island), Little Gasparilla Island, Gasparilla Island, and Manasota Key, as well as residents in any zone living in mobile homes and trailers.
They had time. And that is obvious from ALL the interviews being given saying that those who stayed made a conscientious decision to 'ride it out'.
There was time to get out of iminent danger.
I still feel bad for those that lost their homes, were injured and who died......but if you live on the water, you have to know it is serious stuff.
I live in the Charleston SC area. I do not live wnyhwere where storm surge is an issue but if a Category 4 is coming I will leave 'earlier' rather than later. I will hunker down in a mobile home.
I think that local, state and disaster officials have to be more blunt. Mobile homes will be destroyed with a Category 1......get out while you can.
I feel sorry for those who reasonably followed the evacuation suggestions but who've now lost their homes with no insurance coverage for "floods".
When we purchased our home in Lakeland, friends advised us to read the "fine print" and enquire, if still doubtful, to determine if our package included "flood" damage. The upshot was; it didn't. The additional rider to specifically cover flood damage nearly doubled the cost of our insurance. We investigated further and found that our location address was not a high risk due to it's elevation. https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/...d-Hazard-Areas We also found that the coverage was usually capped, such as that offered by FEMA, at an outpayment of $40,000 so we never bothered to purchase that additional rider.
We sold our home in Florida last winter and watched with horror the televised damage being done all around the area we had lived and enjoyed for twelve years. Our understanding was, it was getting off lightly compared to most in Ian's path. Ian, for some as yet unexplained reason hit our old area very lightly with some minor roof damage to some homes in our old neighbourhood. The purchaser of our home was still in New Jersey at time of Ian. Our previous neighbours have a key and they went through our old house and were able to report to the new owner they found nothing whatsoever amiss.
The hit many thousands of people will take over this insurance conundrum of: not having a "flood" rider, not even realizing the need for one, the available coverage being frequently capped at an amount not even beginning to cover repairs, is going to be heart rending to watch unfold later.
I feel sorry for those who reasonably followed the evacuation suggestions but who've now lost their homes with no insurance coverage for "floods".
When we purchased our home in Lakeland, friends advised us to read the "fine print" and enquire if still doubtful to determine if our package included "flood" damage. The upshot was; it didn't. The additional rider to specifically cover flood damage nearly doubled the cost of our insurance. We investigated further and found that our location address was not a high risk due to it's elevation. https://www.propertyshark.com/mason/...d-Hazard-AreasWe also found that the coverage was usually capped, such, as that offered by FEMA, at an outpayment of $40,000 so we never bothered to purchase that rider.
We sold our home in Florida last winter and watched with horror the televised damage being done all around the area we had lived and enjoyed for twelve years. Our understanding was, it was getting off lightly compared to most in Ian's path.
The hit many thousands of people will take over this insurance conundrum of: not having a "flood" rider, not even realizing the need for one, the coverage being frequently capped at an amount not even beginning to cover repairs is going to be heart rending to watch unfold later.
Insurance coverage is a whole other story.
Lots of people choose to take the risk. I don't live in Florida but did look to buy there and were very aware of the need for good, extensive insurance.
For some the cost of flood insurance would far exceed the real value of the mobile home they were living in.
Human nature -- govt. shouldn't dictate what I do but then govt. should make sure I don't do anything silly. If you live anywhere near a flat coast line and don't think that flooding is an issue you can only blame 'them' (whoever they are) for so long.
Briefly, the whole town of 2,000 is powered by solar electricity. The electric lines and internet lines are all underground. The town never lost power, even after being hit by the hurricane. Apparently, no real damage to any houses (some roof tiles blown off), with the streets being developed specifically to prevent flooding.
I am surprised that the solar panels weren't damaged. Anyway, interesting article.
12 miles from the gulf, newer construction up to code and built on elevated ground.
Not really shocked that they came away relatively unscathed.
I'd suspect that most of the other new construction subdivisions that far in-land did about as well but that would hurt the whole narrative of the article lol.
This is what I learned during Irma, that these predicted landfalls are highly inaccurate until less than 24 hours out. Irma was slated to make landfall somewhere near Miami, and we were under mandatory evacuation orders. But instead it kept going west and made landfall somewhere near Naples instead.
Ian was pushed into the Ft Myers area by an unseasonably strong cold front that kept it more south. It's this same cold front that was responsible for squeezing out a record amount of moisture over the Orlando area causing massive flooding there.
I'm not sure what the solution to this is, wider evacuation orders? Then people will start ignoring it after they have been through several rodeos where the storm completely misses them.
They predicted a storm surge of 4-7 feet for Ft Myers Beach on Sunday and it was already a cat 3 and expected to pick up speed. Landfall predictions changed from Tampa to Ft Myers Tuesday night but that still does not excuse people from remaining. Ft Myers Beach and Sanibel are mostly right at sea level or slightly above, they should have evacuated even if landfall was Tampa.
A 5 feet storm surge and they are right at sea level on the gulf, cat 3 winds and over 10 inches of rain and they decided to wait it out, bad decision.
Lots of people choose to take the risk. I don't live in Florida but did look to buy there and were very aware of the need for good, extensive insurance.
For some the cost of flood insurance would far exceed the real value of the mobile home they were living in.
Human nature -- govt. shouldn't dictate what I do but then govt. should make sure I don't do anything silly. If you live anywhere near a flat coast line and don't think that flooding is an issue you can only blame 'them' (whoever they are) for so long.
Times two!
Yes indeed, as regards insurance coverage but, having spent many winters in Florida with the numerous hurricanes and tornadoes in it's history. every Florida native should be well aware of the risks of not having full coverage. If you choose, like we did, to forego that "flood" rider then finding yourself homeless as a result - it's on you and not the gubmn't.
That's the part we find confusing. If you choose your fate, complaining about it later seems 'off the table'.
I predict there will be more homeless people wandering around Florida than they've ever seen before. It could all have been foreseen with just the modicum of logical thinking. Governor DeSantis is going to have to deal with that. My hope is that those that find themselves in that predicament get treated to the compassion that comes from Florida having absorbed the largest influx share of new inhabitants in the nation with their attendant huge contributions to the State coffers.
The thing is when we moved down here in 1998, we were actually a lot more jumpy about hurricanes than we are now. Easier to start out somewhat cautious and dial it back as data comes in than to just figure all storms are No Big Deal.
I am ready for them. I know what I need, but even with good preparations things can get very ugly. I get upset with the denial bunch.
When major evacuations orders are given just what are the procedures in this state? Are all the lanes on the few freeways leading North, all suppose to be Northbound as the storm gets closer? We are a sitting duck in this state. You can't get a hotel room half the time if you needed to go that route. Getting into a shelter isn't always going to work either. I learned that with Irma when I lived in Lakeland. I couldn't get into 2 of them in Lakeland because they were filled up almost immediately. So how exactly are these evacuations suppose to be handled?
People went to Alabama, GA, Tenn etc for Irma or shelters. I would have gone to clermont, but went further inland to a 2 story town house. . And yes there’s loss. I threw away at least $100 of food, people lose money from work. There’s people posting they are without food n kids hungry all over the place. The Salvation Army etc overwhelmed.
When major evacuations orders are given just what are the procedures in this state? Are all the lanes on the few freeways leading North, all suppose to be Northbound as the storm gets closer? We are a sitting duck in this state. You can't get a hotel room half the time if you needed to go that route. Getting into a shelter isn't always going to work either. I learned that with Irma when I lived in Lakeland. I couldn't get into 2 of them in Lakeland because they were filled up almost immediately. So how exactly are these evacuations suppose to be handled?
FL DOT policy as explained during one of the briefings during the storm is that they open the freeway shoulders once sustained traffic flow slows to 40 MPH. Ahead of the storm they make sure all the shoulders are clear of debris.
They claimed they have done studies showing this is the most effective. It also leaves the opposite lanes heading toward the storm open for emergency personnel as well as bringing equipment closer to the storm for staging ahead of the storm.
Additionally, both north/south and east/west lanes may be needed for resident evacuation depending on the path of a given storm. Being a peninsula is different than a place like SC where they turn all traffic lanes towards the interior of the state.
As for shelters filling up, I would call your local county emergency number and ask about options in the event the shelters are full or call adjacent counties and ask if you can come there.
You buy 2 pieces of land in different states and a nice fancy RV.
That way you always got a place to go. You’ll never be homeless.
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