I don’t even know where to begin. Hopefully this hotspot holds up long enough to transmit. Thanks Ad Rem for earlier.
First things first, myself and family are okay. We are blessed and fortunate. Thank you for all your thoughts, prayers and well wishes.
For those who are familiar with Hurricanes, Ian was unique; painfully slow and painfully unique. However, it had similarities to three previous storms, Frances (location), Michael (intensity) and Andrew (aftermath). What made Ian very unique was the duration.
Normally there is 1 hour scary, 1 hour hell, 1 hour scary. Soup to nuts three to four hours. For Ian, that was just the first half. With a start time around 1:30pm and a finish time around 9:30pm this one was brutal. That’s why so much infrastructure failure.
When I saw the search and rescue flight path overhead at daybreak this morning, I knew the barrier Islands were catastrophic. Indeed, Fort Myers beach, Sanibel Island, Upper Captiva and Pine Island all suffered topography changing events. People will reevaluate living on barrier islands.
The Sanibel Causeway is destroyed. The three spans still exist, but the spoil islands which held the road are totally wrecked. No way on/off the island by vehicle. The Pine Island bridge also failed. The only way to Sanibel or Pine Island is by boat. The dozens of air national guard flights today were all heading to those locations. Regional Southwest Airport (RSW) remains closed except for rescue flights.
Several major piers are also gone. Fort Myers Beach, Cape Coral, Pine Island. At this moment 98% of Lee County, Florida is without power and there are major utility infrastructure failures. Electric sub stations completely wiped out. Utility water pumping stations also ruptured and failed. Cell phone towers also wiped out.
The entire shrimp boat fleet docked at FM Beach was destroyed. Boats now sit on houses with trailers on top of the boats and mobile homes from somewhere on top of the houses, boats and trailers.
Most people are shell-shocked at the scale of the damage from this storm. Indeed, I doubt there is a community in Southwest Florida that not massively effected. Marco Island, Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and all of the inland communities all feel the impact from a major hurricane evdident.
Locally, it’s even more stunning. We haven’t even left the neighborhood today and couldn’t even if we wanted to. Roads are blocked by trees and debris. When you think of debris, normally we think about small bits of stuff the size of a shopping cart or smaller. Ian moved debris weighing tons. Chunks of concrete from who-knows-where can be found randomly all over. Concrete slabs from collapsed seawalls are blocks away from the water.
Every direction of wind was just as intense as the direction before it and we felt every direction. As the front of Ian made debris, the backside then had ammunition for wind weapons of jaw-dropping scale. The sounds of that “stuff” slamming into homes was just incredible. Casa del Sundance has serious steel shutters with double drilled anchor bolts and several of my shutters were hit by something turning them into crash test discards. Just, well and unreal amount of wind power.
Like many others, we had our roof compromise in the second half of the storm. Massive trees that withstood Charley and Irma were no match for Ian’s rage. Thankfully, many people evacuated. If you are one of those people, stay put. Wait until after the weekend before making a decision to return home. Heck, there ain’t no power or water anyway – and word on the street is no gas for miles.
Like hurricane Michael, this was a storm of total utility failure. It could take weeks, depending on the neighborhood because the transfer and sub stations were hit hard.
Today was all about debris removal and that work will obviously continue. It’s easy to be overwhelmed, but industrious people doing the next step, then the next, is the way to get it done. How do you eat an elephant….. One bite at a time. Lots of bites to go.
As noted, the coastal areas took it worst. My gut tells me there are still places we have yet to hear about.
Another odd thing about this specific storm, an alarmingly fewer number of generators running. Easily 75% fewer generators running in the aftermath around me. Perhaps because the outcome was just too bad to try and inhabit while recovering; perhaps more evacuated this time; perhaps with the economy means fewer financial resources to try and cope. Regardless of reason, the drop in the number of people running generators is odd.
Tomorrow, we continue to put a few more layers on those callouses. After mostly securing the immediate homestead, we can now look to help others. This is going to be one long recovery effort.
Thanks again for all the well wishes. Love to all,
Sundance
God Bless Sundance!
Amen! Bless the Lord!
God bless you and yours, Sundance. I was down in Ft Myers earlier this month, surveying a boat at the city marina. The still small voice told me, not this boat, not this time. Thankfully, I listened. My prayer for you is for Grace in the days ahead, you have a storm proof home in my heart.
.
People please send money. The insurance companies are flipped out and going to be dragging their heels.
.
Undoubtedly, with the focus on ESG and all that climate nonsense lately.
I plan on making a donation on principle even though I am not in a position to give much. A gift that I’m sure will be well received and appreciated.
For any of us not in the area, what and where is the best place to donate?
You could donate here at CTH to support Sundance, at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/, or https://mercuryone.org/. For the latter, I believe Glenn Beck said Mercury One would be going to Florida.
Also,
Florida Disaster Fund (run by state government): https://www.volunteerflorida.org/donatefdf/
United Cajun Navy: http://unitedcajun.org/
Mercury One was deployed and ready at a location just outside of Florida before the storm. They are up and running now.
I believe the FL Disaster Relief official site has a place to donate.
Run by Florida’s First Lady.
https://www.volunteerflorida.org/donatefdf/
The big insurers contract out most of their claims related to catastrophic events. The adjusters are not staff adjusters employed by the insurance companies. These guys are away from home and work like maniacs. They are paid by the claim according to a scale for the payout on the estimate. Adjusting is for productive persons.
The insurance companies have successive timeframes for completing elements of the claims process. The companies push out those claims assignment.
Also, the insurance companies carry reinsurance.
They’re always flipped out and dragging their heels. I know folks in the Lace Charles, La area who just “settled” on their damage from Hurricane Laura 2 years ago. Disgraceful.
Dime and nickel you on every bit of every claim in a catastrophe like this. It’s better than nothing, but, it is not going to replace or repair your home as it was.
God Bless you! Sundance, What can we do to help?
See above?
I’m so sorry your house took a beating. But thank God your family remained safe.
Thank you for all you do, Sundance. We love you.
Sundance, my prayers are with you and your family. As a fellow Floridian of 32 years, the majority of those years spent right here in NE FL, I know that these times are when community is so important. I don’t post many comments but I want you to know that all the time I’ve spend reading and sharing your writing, you are part of my community and I am so grateful that you are OK, I will be busy tomorrow starting to assess damage here but it is nothing compared my neighbors to south. Sending prayers. God Bless!
Always remember that no one exposes the surveillance state like Sundance. It’s his most important work, in my opinion obviously. Thanks for chiming in!
All my thoughts and prayers for your family and all effected by Ian.
I don’t like that pic. It’s very distressful and reminds me of the feeling after Nov 2020 when CTH was deplatformed.
But then you found resources SD and brought yourself and The Treehouse back online. You became less reliant on Big Tech with some help from some key allies. I believe R Limbaugh was one of them. Maybe Bongino too?
My point is stay the course and keep your chin up. Walk tall and upright and know so many of us are behind you in compassion and spirit.
Long Live the Treehouse!!
I LOVE that pic. Here’s why:
Psalm 20:7 NIV
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God
All our intelligence, strength and resources are in vain without the Lord. Sometimes He brings us to our knees to remind us to pray.
Amen!
Perfect! and Amen.
Thanks for the update!
Good advice for people to just stay put where you are!
Glad you and family are OK!
It sounds like Katrina. I arrived in NOLA 2 weeks after Katrina. The destruction was undescribable, I simply didn’t have the words.
I wish everyone the best.
NOLA didn’t drain for 6 to 8 weeks after Katrina.
Yep and that left a moldy, rusty, deteriorated mess of everything except plastic.
at this point all that I can offer is to add the survivor’s safety and compassion for everyone’s loss… to my long daily dialogue with Our Heavenly Father…
God is Good all the time. Bless you Sundance and all of the people there. May you find the strength to reach out and help one another and rely on His promises.
I’m in Charleston SC, hopefully we will fare much better after you took the brunt of the furry. My oldest friend, since first grade, 72 years ago lives in Naples. I haven’t been in touch yet.
I’m in Summerville and the wind has died and it’s barely raining. It’s so weird and I don’t expect it to last but…
That’s just depressing to hear. Yes, head down, moving forward one step at a time … task by task … check it off the list. Feelings of accomplishment come in small pieces. Don’t be overwhelmed (easy for me to say).
I live in the PNW. I’ve never experienced a full fledged hurricane, we did however have a cyclone in 2006 that was kind of freakish. Prayers to you, yours and everyone else effected by Ian. 🙏
Prayers going up early and often for you, Sundance, and the people of the hard hit areas. My wife and I have vacationed on Sanibel Island and cannot imagine what you described. However I saw a hurricane change the barrier island on which Cape Hatteras is located and blast through an inlet that previously did not exist, so the capability of these storms to change topography is well-appreciated…
Stay safe above all, and please update your CTH family with your progress if and whenever it’s convenient.
A hurricane in 1933 created the inlet in Ocean City that separates it from Assateague Island.
It is commonplace for a hurricane that is really strong to breach a Barrier Island and create a new Inlet. My favorite island is on the East Coast and it was breached in Hurricane Hugo. Fortunately the breach was not a great big one so the bulldozers got busy and scrape the sand back together and then they repaved the road. But still Hugo took out an awful lot of houses on the island and just blew them into the salt marsh and then the forest Beyond.
Hugo was unreal- I was in St Croix post storm. Then Drove up I-95 into DC- it literally cut swaths of trees alongside the freeway for miles.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, Sundance,
May the Lord cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you,
May the Lord lift up His countenance toward you, and give you peace.
Sundance, the strength in your words are truly an inspiration. A long recovery to be sure, with promising outcomes.
Many prayers!!
We appreciate you so very much.
Hope you can feel the love.
Stay strong Sundance.
Prayers and God speed the recovery.
Here are gathered credible donation sites and will continue to update as warranted.
https://rightwirereport.com/2022/09/29/floridians-need-your-help-now-the-list-donate-to-help-victims-of-hurricane-ian/
Here’s another donation site as posted above at about 11:02 pm by Mari:
“You could donate here at CTH to support Sundance, at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/, or https://mercuryone.org/. For the latter, I believe Glenn Beck said Mercury One would be going to Florida.”
Prayers for all Sundance! As we know, Sundance will be quite involved in restoring some semblance of normal to his neighborhood and more. AdRem, would it be possible to create a fund to assist him in his quest to help those that need it? Maybe help buy materials and / or tools that can immediately aid those that Sundance will be looking to serve? Thank You! BD
I’ll post your query in the back room BD.
Thank you! I know that times are tight for all of us these days but I’m sure every little bit helps that we can donate to a cause that we know is good!
I would give to that and to the repair of Sundance’s house.
Me too!
Me, Too
Me too…
Me too!
The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina nudged us out of Louisiana in 2006 to find refuge here in Florida. Change bring challenges and challenges bring change… While it is difficult to rejoice in times like these, we can be empowered to overcome when we grasp the mercy and grace of the Almighty. Never let go of Hope! Romans 5:3-5
Samaritan’s Purse is a great charity to help on the ground and give money to. They really do a great job.
I am expecting my invitation to help sometime today. I volunteered after the Kentucky tornadoes and the Memphis ice storm. I wish I could go, but my recent heart attack says no.
@ Sundance… Thanking God for you and for allowing you and yours to survive the terrible onslaught of this unique storm. Prayers going up for you and yours, all others who lived through it or safely evacuated, and for the families of those who did not make it through.
Mother Nature is a terrifying force to try to recon with….to understand……….so glad you are safe and sound in the midst of chaos and confusion
Prayers!
Looking at some of the images that are filtering through, absolute carnage!
Does anyone on here believe in weather manipulation? Like, could a hurricane be intensified or even partially caused by man-made machinations?
I can’t help but wonder. The environment around us has changed, but so has our scientific sophistication. In the ‘old days’ political manipulation(s) of crises were probably going on a lot, and many ‘crises’ were wholly or mostly created by the government. But if humans can manipulate the weather today it is a very recent phenomenon, methinks.
Any scientists out there who aren’t spooks? lol
Prayers to all the Floridians and southerners suffering under this storm’s wrath. Wish I could come down and help.
Love
Lookup Operation Popeye. Reading on AARP :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-frequency_Active_Auroral_Research_Program
I believe it to be some more of “Man plans, God Laughs.”………just like man’s arrogance to think he can affect the whole planet’s climate that God put in place, it is humourous that those that claim there is no God then declare they can operate as if they are him
If I was a conspiracy theorist I would be questioning a major disaster that just happens to hit right around October during an election year. Especially one that is record breaking and diverts attention from a major political opponent. I would be even more intrigued at the same storm strengthening and hitting another politically opposite state…but I wouldn’t adjust the tin hat unless the storm ALSO took out Monkey Island near Beaufort, where Fauci was doing illegal experiments with tax money.
Which it might, actually. Weird.
Good thing I’m not a conspiracy theorist.
I do. That’s why CA is so dry (among other man-manipulations) and they have been doing it for over 50 years so the controllers are very good at it now. Weaponized weather.
Sending prayers up for all recovering.
Dear Laila15, Yes. I do. I’ve seen General’s testify in front of Congress that they CAN and DO manipulate weather. This is not the time for Sundance and/or my family – who are also reside in Florida – to post what I’ve read and researched about the “weather wars.”
To experience and witness the devastation of the world where you live – destroyed by a storm is a time (my parents went through it) I am going to put all discussion and speculation to rest out of respect for the shock that all that just went through this storm may be experiencing.
This will take years for many who have just experienced this storm to recover from. My entire family resides in FL, and I woke up this morning wondering if I would be able to bear the loss of one more human in my family. All have survived. There is no way to describe having my prayers for them answered.
I have no idea if these websites exists anymore but I used to read Dutchsince and WeatherWars. Particularly around the time of Hurricane Katrina and the Fukashima event. There is also GeoengineeringWatch. org. if you want to start digging into the topic.
“There is no way to describe having my prayers for them answered.”
Maybe not, but your non-description brought tears to my eyes. . .
Thanks for the update Sundance and my prayers to all…
I do. When I was listening to Mike Adams’s Situation Update from yesterday, he talked about the hurricane sitting in one place for hours and hours, then moving in a weird direction. Commented it wasn’t what hurricanes normally do. He said he was going to reach out to Dane Wigington and see what Dane had to say.
Dane’s website
https://www.geoengineeringwatch.org/
A few weeks ago (or more) MonkeyWerx had a couple of videos in which he talked about weather modification and gave one I hadn’t heard of (and he also showed some interesting footage of a rainstorm headed east & hit a “wall” from Montana all the way down to Texas):
https://weathermodificationhistory.com/
God Bless you Sundance, may the good Lord wrap his arm of love and protection around you and yours.
May you feel, tangibly, Strength and Comfort and Courage from Almighty God as you plot your way forward. You are not alone. Countless prayers cover you.
Sundance, good to hear from you.
My wife’s aunt and uncle live in Fort Myers, but were in Tennessee when it hit. They haven’t heard from anyone. Their house is on Fiddlesticks Golf Club. Do you know anything about the damage in this area?
Glad you and yours are safe Sundance! Let us know if you need anything, or if there are any recommended charities. I’ve done Mercy Chefs and Samaritan’s Purse in the past, if they are still decent now.
I recommend Samaritans purse. Have given for many years. Almost 100% of each dollar goes into the charity, unlike some who have high overhead and dubious expenses.
Photograph/record any suspected political crime. This is more severe than Ukraine ‘war’ damage.
As we’ve seen in past catastrophes, whole warehouses of goods get ‘lost’ – destined for the black market. Let’s hope any funding gets to valid recipients and does not get washed and laundered out of the system.
Sending best wishes from the Big Bend. God’s got you all in His hands. Prayers up, brother warrior.
On I-10 in Pensacola today miles and miles of heavy equipment vehicles, portable showers, tree removal trucks, food trucks, trailers filled with gas tanks, small mobile homes and rvs and buses of church people are heading your way. It is like a convoy of Patriots heading to help. It was a beautiful sight and people were moving over for them to get through. Help is on the way. Prayers for you and your family.
That’s so beautiful to imagine the trail of Good People on their way to help.
A coworker (Raytheon) of mine lives in Largo. Anyone know how Largo fared?
I will probably try to contact him tomorrow.
I think one of my friends is there and it looks pretty good.
prayers brother, and love…r
God bless you Sundance.
Never ever made any such thing to any created creature in any outward form. In an imperfect way, here’s my accolade to you. From the heart .. God bless you Sundance.
For all reading this from Sundance, within; he has infused so much calm, strength, quiet hope and inspiring resolve; radiating outwards – touching all – selflessly embracing ‘look to help others’. Adversity reminds us of our weaknesses. May we accept our unchangeable features, cry out to God with a pure heart and embrace God’s purposes for our difficulties. May we listen to all, may we pray for all people in need even if we aren’t able to help in other ways. May the God of hope fill us all with all joy and peace everlasting today, to always trust in Him; that all what we do and who we touch may manifest the power of Christ. That all may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Please let us know where best to donate.
There is a donate button near the top of the page on the right and under the burning candle. That’s where I went.
Thanks for the update. I have a childhood friend in Fort Meyers and I visited her there. I have not heard yet how she is doing. She took me to Sanibel Island. What a sad loss.
Yes, the sound of the wind and the trees crashing cannot be accurately described. It is scary and you never forget it.
Just know that the Treepers are praying for you and here for you. Godspeed.
I lived on Maui when the January 1980 storm hit.
No official name, they just called it the Storm of 1980.
Winds were at over 100 mph in some areas.
Kihei where I lived was totally flooded.
You are so correct.
You never forget the sounds of things hitting your house.
We had a tin roof so it was even more special with the massive rainfall. /sarc
Thank you Sundance, and I’m so glad to hear that you and your family are safe. CTH is a refuge for me, and I am exceedingly encouraged by the community of faith here. Sound faith, common sense, living according to the fruits of the spirit, family, and community will turn this mess of a country around.
Sundance, my prayers are answered that you and your family are okay. May God continue to bless you with strength to endure the clean-up and rebuilding and putting your lives back together. We love you.
God has certainly blessed Sundance with faith and courage and a multitude of virtues. May those overflow to those who now need them most.
Our hearts go out to you and your family. Everyday will get better and you know help is on the way. Stay safe, my friend.
I knew it was going to be a brutal thing … kept praying for it to move faster but it just kept crawling across the state … it seems most storms move at least twice as fast as Ian … and the darn wind field was huge … it’s already covering the coastal areas of Georgia and the Carolinas while the center is still way out at sea.
The pictures from the Florida wreckage give a new meaning to the term “houseboat”. So many boats on top of houses and so many swimming pools in vacant lots where the houses have been scoured away.
This will see days and weeks of neighbors helping neighbors cleaning and rebuilding.
Wow.
I gather Sundance did not evacuate?
Sounds like it. How anyone survived this during the storm is a miracle. Steel shutters ripped off and the roof barely! I hooe Sundance will write us another time how he and his family survived and decision to not evacuate., it sounds like family was awaken to absolute hell after Hurricane left but during the Storm it was hell too. So much ahead and it will never be the same
Thank you for the update! I know you all are shell shocked but you will get through it. Having gone through Ivan in 2004 on Pensacola Beach I can sympathize and also (hopefully) offer a little hope. It will be a long recovery but recover you will and you’ll be stronger and your new structures will be too. Hang in there; I’m praying for everyone!!!
You will recover!! You, your family and community will be stronger..My parent’s house caught fire and exploded in 09..my mother was killed, my 83 year old dad survived..His strength was an inspiration to me..the house was bulldozed down and filled in, my mother’s physical body was gone..we survived, we were so close in those last years together, dad my brother and me!! I cherish those years. Last week I felt the urge to get out old rosary beads and start praying. I felt that something weird was going to happen…never thought it would be this..the hurricane barely missed both our Fl houses..Ocala and Amelia Island. I didn’t really care about the houses..my friend removed my crystal cross from my Amelia house..it was bought for my father..sooo..it will take time to rebuild, but you will rebuild..another bump in this long road we have been following these last few years..God Bless all of you on this site..thank you Sundance for bringing us together!!
God bless you and yours and everyone there.
Just heard from a friend who moved there. He said they chose the area because the people were so nice and helpful to each other and people were so nice today.