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 you Sundance. Have family in Pine Island and Naples and they all did well. Been through a few hurricanes myself so I know how hard they are to live through. We’ll miss you but you take the time off and worry about you now. You have more than earned it.
Any looting going on?
Put this in the for what it’s worth department. I think the website I’m linking to is a modified limited hangout site, therefore has some bits of straight truth mixed in with a lot of distortion or lies. Article says FEMA were first responders, and instead of rescuing people on roofs, they shot at them, then looted the properties. Sounds plausible, but I would need confirmation from more reliable source to trust that it’s true.
https://realrawnews.com/2022/09/special-forces-fight-fema-brigands-in-storm-battered-southwest-florida/
National Guard is now deployed to SWFL.
I am praying the Aaronic Blessing over Sundance and his loved ones.
Num 6:24 May the Lord send his blessing on you and keep you:
Num 6:25 May the light of the Lord’s face be shining on you in grace:
Num 6:26 May the Lord’s approval be resting on you and may he give you peace.
Num 6:27 So they will put my name on the children of Israel, and I will give them my blessing.
If possible, please listen to this song version and forward this link of The Blessing to Sundance. The Lord will minister to him.
https://goodsamatlanta.org/todays-prayer-call-god-watches-over-you-the-blessing-numbers-624-26-9-28-2020%F0%9F%99%8F/
Yes, my heart goes out to the Fla residents. I grew up in Fla, fortunately inland.
Despite the tornadoes and hurricanes, it was a great and beautiful place to grow up.
But I have to ask all Florida (especially) shore area residents, what were you expecting? You’re at zero to six feet above sea level, and hurricanes produce twenty-foot tidal swells. Water does not care about anything, it is uncompressible, and will move anything it wants.
Living on a Fla island or shoreline is a 100% crap shoot.
The question now is are you going to play again?
smh….
Thanks
One of my nieces, her husband and three kids lived on a FM Beach barrier island, right on the water. For reasons I will never understand, they did not evacuate, but rode it out. At the end, the five of them were huddled in a closet on the third floor of their, in my niece’s words, “crazy hurricane-proof” house. They actual had cell service until just as the eye finished passing them, and were giving a blow by blow via text messages to my sister-in-law. Then they were cut off until they got word out the following morning they were spared and rescued. There is no more a hurricane-proof house than the Titanic was unsinkable.
I grew up in New Orleans. We always ran when the storm was headed our way. What Sundance has described here is much like the aftermath of Hurricane Camille in ’69 in which I volunteered to help with clean up. The jumble is what sticks in my mind. A jumble every way you look. I’ll never forget seeing a 50′ sport fishing boat sitting on top of a weirdly intact snack bar at a marina in Pass Christian, MS.
God’s blessing to all the survivors and those taken home to the Lord.
As I recall Pass Christian had 200 mph wind.
The way I remember it and heck, it was only 53 years ago so I must have it right ;-), the wind gauge at a weather station there broke at 212mph. I had a HS classmate whose father had grown up in Pass Christian and still owned the family home there. It was a cypress log structure that had been built in 1858. If you’re familiar with it, cypress from logs that have lain in water in a bayou are hard as hard can be. That house survived Camille, all its windows were blown out and water had gotten into it but it was still standing. My classmate had a snapshot of it and it was the only intact structure in the picture.
Not many houses are built above the ultimate wave heights, for 250 mph wind. Offshore oil installations increased their airgap, height off the normal sea, from 50-55 ft in the 60s to at least 90 ft, last time I saw a new one.
I worked offshore on many rigs for many years. I was an OIM on several. Waves hitting the bottom of structures can be devastating.
Perhaps a house designed like a nuclear plant containment dome?
Egg shaped for strength and low wind resistance, thick concrete covered in waterproof epoxy, shell of mostly welded rebar, multiple steel pilings sunk deep in the sand.
Multi-story with access hatch on the roof.
Portholes of bulletproof plastic/glass composite instead of windows.
Self contained generator room with mushroom shaped air intakes on the roof with waterproof ball valves.
You could build it, but it would be expensive.
Might as well build that in the middle of Western Kansas or North Dakota then.
Friends of my grandparents were caught in Hurricane Camille and rode it out in their attic. But the water was all the way up to their feet with the 24-ft storm surge. That was a really bad category five
Camille was absolutely terrifying. And to make it that much worse, the storm surge came at night. Those people down there who survived and rebuilt are some tough, tough, resilient people.
Camille stuck with me too. I was still a child. We drove I10 and saw that the Fountainbleu was gone and part of the road was embedded vertically in the road. This and Michael reminded me of Camille. Katrina was bad but it did not flatten everything like these.
I hate to agree with you. I live on a barrier island on N FL and we do know the risk. Lost electricity 24 hrs ago but weathered the storm else wise.
Unfortunately my county has spent millions on refurbishing the beaches and I just got back from our deeded beach and all the sand they have put in is washed away.
When you live this close to ocean you are always taking a risk.
If I lived on the coast, I would rent but I would never buy.
If you rent, you just pack up and go. If you buy, you have to pick up the pieces and rebuild.
I guess people could move to California.
On second thought, I’d take my chances in Florida.
Where do you live? Get tornados? Earthquakes? No notice with those.
Pick your poison, CF_Addict. Every state has natural disasters, and then man-made ones, like in CA.
Actually, in Kansas this week it is 75′ , light winds , sunny and perfect.
Tornadoes only hit during stormy weather and 99% of time we have notice.
Tornadoes only happen once in a blue moon and you can go underground or drive away.
A tornado is 300′ to 5000′ wide and only on the ground for a few minutes.
I grew up in ND and we had tonado warnings every summer. But it’s hard to do a lot of damage when it’s mostly just wheat fields. We used to go watch the storms from the top of a hill, you can see for miles when there are no trees. Now that I’m in WI we don’t get tornadoes as often, but when they do hit they almost always do damage.
Yes, we’ll be staying, right here in Englewood.
We’re safe, relatively comfortable. My kids are flying down to help us git ‘er done for a few days. What a gift.
Enjoy brushing your teeth with a switch controlled light as you tuck into bed tonight. Many millions will not enjoy those luxuries for some time.
I sincerely hope nothing this level ever affects you and yours, but if it does, you’ll receive genuine compassion from me and mine, not the crap you’re spewing. You must be fun at parties.
So, I’m guessing you drive your car daily. And there are fatal car accidents daily too. Are you continuing to drive? Do you expect help when that accident occurs with you in it? Thought so.
I live inland and was hit by Irma and Ian, no one who lived 60 miles from the ocean and 100 miles from the gulf expect this, ever.
Exactly. Inland people build differently. On barrier islands and coasts, they build stronger structures now.
On the other hand, there are no structures guaranteed to withstand a cat 5, which also spins tornados of significant strength.
Hurricanes can produce 20 foot tidal swells. Most do not. Florida is a beautiful, relatively inexpensive place to live.
It is a natural, nature paradise. Watching the ocean waves, walking the beaches, watching the mama turtles lay their eggs, watching the babies struggle past the waves to sea, watching the porpoises, whales, manatees and sharks. Then, there are the innumerable birds. But, always the rhythm of the water. Swimming, surfing, shelling are wonderful activities that may be enjoyed for little money. Fishing can be inexpensive or very expensive. Sailing, motorboating and many other activities are not available inland.
Look at Ian satellite view as it approaches the SC coast. Looks like a bomb going off.
Hurricane Ian at 31.4°N – 79.1°W – NOAA / NESDIS / STAR
God Bless you and your Family Sundance stay strong and safe
May God continue to bless you and keep you and the family.
Are you on Sanibel or just Fort Myers?
God bless you and all those who were affected by this horror of a storm! Help is on the way. God is faithful.
And as anyone paying attention knew would happen the bull crap mills of the “climate change” narrative are cranking up:
Two examples:
Snap Study: ‘Climate Change’ Added 10% to Ian’s Rainfall (breitbart.com)
NYTimes Hurricane Analysis is Purposefully Misleading – Watts Up With That?
This site can put reality into perspective, the ” climate changers” be damned.
As I commented a few days ago, as a kid I lived through hurricane Donna in 1960. And Betsy in ‘ 65.
Donna has been reported as a cat 1 for ever. That was untrue.
The hstory or Fl hurricanes should be publish for the climate nuts.
https://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=795c97208a234a22be68f487854478c5
Sundance, glad you are well…duration of the storm is nerve wracking, for sure.
Take the NYT cherry pick for example that gives the excuse that prior to 1980 there was no good tracking of hurricanes by satellites. Absolute bunkum. The first weather satellite was launched in 1960 and by 1970 there was reliable global coverage. Besides that the Hurricane hunters started flying missions in 1946 gathering data.
I would not call tracking in the 1970s reliable compared to today’s tracking. Today the models are pretty good at providing a relatively accurate path 1-3 days out. They even get the circle-backs like Ian flying into the Carolinas.
Back then, it was enough to know one was coming and its general direction. We had little idea of its intensity.
I remember hurricane “Carol” from the mid-1950s, wreaking havoc on Long Island Sound. It was one of the first named hurricanes. My parents used to talk about the “Big One” in 1938.
The ultimate grinder hurricane is the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1780. Estimated top wind speeds over 200 mph and 3-4 days on a spot.
The climate fakes should move to Yellowknife and let us know how the winter is.
At work when all of this started to happen I threw into our team’s chat that I remembered hearing about Hurricane Camille in 1969 when I was growing up and then for good measure I added a link to a video about the 1938 killer hurricane of Long Island.
I think that made the point that these things have been around for decades without actually having to state it. 😉
They’ll attack them any way they can.
Spambot Announcement – Watts Up With That?
They know. They just push their ideology no matter the facts or the SCIENCE!
For the climate changers, they should be castigated for not having anything to show for the trillions that have already been wasted on “Climate Change.” Obviously, all of that money has been wasted on a fraud, if this is what we get for it.
So, you lowered the CO2 levels, and we get one of the greatest storms in history. Predictably, it has been a failure like all of their predictions: for global warming, global cooling, population bomb—does it never end? No, they want us to starve from using no fertilized. Sicko’s.
God bless you Sundance. Prayer for all suffering.
Sounds like the scenes I saw while doing Disaster Relief in Mississippi after Katrina. It is truly awe inspiring and there aren’t enough adjectives. Glad the Sundance family is ok. Sending prayers for the entire region.
Unfortunately, people won’t rethink living on barrier islands or other vulnerable areas for very long simply because it’s human nature to push the limits for what we desire. Storms of this degree don’t come along very often so we build and build and build more and more. Eventually, the big bad wolf shows up, huffs and puffs, and blows the houses down. This situation could be significantly reduced simply by not populating these areas to the max. These devastating results are then picked up by the climate change cultists and thrown back into our faces not as the result of over-populating these specific areas, but the results of more powerful storms becoming the norm, when that is not factual.
I don’t object to them building there. If you can afford it, go for it. But don’t expect the tax payers to bail you out and don’t allow insurance companies to defray the cost of those that build in such places to those of us that don’t.
I agree about taxpayers but I have lived in Florida most of my 64 years and payed a huge amount of money for my home owners insurance and have never filed a claim. That is why you have insurance is’nt it?
Yeah but that’s the problem. Flood insurance is a government sponsored insurance so if/when you rebuild they’ll offer it to you again.
Flood insurance is for all 50 states. This idea that only Florida floods is hogwash. Checked the midwest in recent years? What about annually fires in CA, along with all the mudslides, annually?
Natural disasters are in very state. Pick your poison.
You’re damn right.
If you are in a prone area and get wiped out, the insurance companies should pay to rebuild.
However, they should have the right to deny you coverage for a replay down the road.
IIRC, they do.
Florida is a beautiful state. The downside is that they have privatized the beaches, so there is very little public access now. Yes there are some nice parks, but very little parking for those who wish to take advantage of these. In fact, when I visited Anna Maria Island early in the year, they were busy bulldozing away a good chunk of the public parking at the public beach. As an outsider, I didn’t know what to make of that. What’s up with this? Gotta keep the “riff-raff ” out? Especially given how hot & humid Florida is, it doesn’t seem right to prevent the average Joe, who can’t afford a million dollar condo, or to pay $300-400/night for a hotel to be able to come to the beach with his family.
This may be an excellent time to rethink the use of these lands, and rather than rebuilding it with exclusive homes and hotels, to build public beaches instead. I realize this wouldn’t sit well with the developers and local politicians who salivate over their real estate and tax revenue, but at some point, will it be impossible to get insurance for these multi-million dollar properties? Before Ian, a family member in Ft Meyers has said the insurance companies are already taking away people’s flood insurance policies in some areas there.
Calimexistan has a lot of issues, yes, but one thing we have is some common sense when it comes to public access to the beach.
Other than military installations and select infrastructure, anything from the high tide mark to the water front is public and there are very, VERY strict rules about providing public access
The pampered Hollywood rich folks in Malibu are constantly taught a lesson by the State.
Let the People Surf!
I know in St.Johns County they approved to refurbish the beach along the coast but I believe the cites had to increase public access. It cost millions of dollars and like I said before so much of the sand brought in has been swept away.
I live in a community across from the ocean that has a deeded beach and is very close to a small public beach.I feel the beach belongs to the public my only problem is that we have a tunnel under the road we use to get to the beach and many times people would come and use our community amenities. HOA just installed a security gate so it is working out well.
Glad you mentioned developers. They always want to build higher, denser on the barrier islands without any regard to what the infrastructure – electric, sewer, water, roads – can handle. There are limits. Cocoa Beach has a tight height limit, but, there’s always a developer trying to change it. It is a tiny barrier island with no grow space. They can not widen the main roads without impacting peoples homes or businesses. They have grown from two lane roads in one direction to two lanes in both directions plus turn lanes and bike lanes.
Just saw real estate listings in this morning’s Wall Street Journal (p. M9) for multi-million dollar beach front houses just steps from the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia Beach VA. Ooof.
When I lived in Tidewater area, including Virginia Beach, common to see around a dozen homes a year, on the beachfront or barrier island like Sandbridge area, to fall into the ocean. Usually happened after a hurricane, tropical storm, or Nor’easter.
We used to build basic bungalows with throwaway furniture and plastic plates, on pilings . Practical.
Also, sometimes we could drag them out of the salt marsh and get them back up on pilings. Fix the roof and windows and you’re good to go.
I just can’t imagine this level of destruction. I also can’t imagine enduring this cleanup at my age and I’m in good physical condition. So many will be overwhelmed. Thank you Sundance for the update. I don’t know how you were able to even do an update. Thank you and of course my prayers for you and all those around you.
My prayers are united with all those others who press on in the knowledge of His great love and compassion for us. We are strong in wake of adversity. We carry the highest Power in our beings. The great gift I hear from your report is that of pushing on. I find it interesting the sound of silence concerning the generators. God draws to such things for a purpose. Hopefully the loss life is also non existent. Prayers for you, your family, friends, and community. Praise the Name of the Lord. Praise Him in our time of great loss and despair. Praise Him. Psalm 50:15 tells us, “and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
We are so blessed to have a patriot like Sundance at this time in our history.
He is the heart and soul of generosity to even think about the Tree House while he is working through this horrible catastrophe. I’m sure he realizes that his loyal readers will still be here whenever he can return.
May God bless Sundance and his family as they deal with this hurricane and its aftermath.
Where do we get people like Sundance and crew? Prayers for all involved in this debacle! Absolutely unbelievable the destruction of such a vast area! If ever there was a uniting force, this is it!
Your first line reminded me of a 50’s movie about the Korean was. The captain of the aircraft carrier watching the jets take off and (unbelievably) land on a speck in the ocean. He said “where do we get such men.” Indeed.
Dave Walsh and team are on Bannon’s Warroom and they say the problem is going to be getting the parts needed to fix the grid. Right now delivery is at least six months out or more on many parts already, thanks to FJB and all the other dictators who shut down their states to rob their people, and this will only exascerbate that.
We are devastated for you, and praying for all of you and our fearless inspirators and their families.
In the electrical wholesale business and can verify this is true. Huge backlog of material due, in part, to chip shortage, and exacerbated by heavy demand, low supply of other components, etc. This is not just an issue with residential; commercial and utility scale switchgear, transformers, breakers, are even harder/longer lead times.
So then why does no enterprising soul manufacture them in the US??
I’d guess demand will be cratering … now that Joe’s global warmed over Fed will be killing off our economy.
Not enough credit and too much regulation.
Some parts for transformers can take multiple years because of international supply chain issues. This has been known for many years. Now, we get to experience it.
Sundance and Ad REM. I’d like to contribute to relief efforts but want to make sure the recipient is really good. Do you have any recommendations for the Treehouse?
I like Mercuryone.org, they seem to do good work. Be aware this organization was founded by Glenn Beck, and I know he is a somewhat controversial figure.
Samaritan’s Purse seems to do good work, as well, though I disagree with some of Franklin Graham’s views on gun laws.
I will not donate to the Red Cross or Salvation Army, as they are too woke for me.
But as always, do your own homework.
We sent to Matthew:25 as per Charity Navigator
Mercury One is my go to charity. Beck may be controversial to some, but his charity does great work.
God protect you and all those who were in Ian’s path! There is a lot of rebuilding ahead, and many years too… God be with you all…
I had no idea you lived in that corner of Florida.
We were lucky. Broward County had nothing but mild winds…
I cannot even imagine the pictures I’m seeing are only a few hundred miles away…
Thank YOU !!! Take care and what is the best folks to send a donation too ?
God love and keep all of you, Sundance. Please let us know if y’all need anything.
Small silver lining – that may change.
Note that this stat not only changes over time but does not have a consensus definition.
FL fatalities traceable to Ian (to date): 21
FL fatalities traceable to Irma: 123
Way too soon to be posting this. They have not even been able to rescue and access all the barrier islands, let alone all the people on the mainland under the houses, boats, RVs, cars, etc.
Very very sad .Prayers to you SD and your family. God bless you and give all of you tremendous strength to overcome.
Recommendation for org to send relief contributions?
Hard to wrap your head around.
There’s a video out there of the Coast Guard doing a helicopter rescue of senior citizens and their cats.. what were those senior citizens thinking..
They are on the coast.. in a manufactured house.. many of these are just converted trailer homes.. and yet they did not evacuate..
There is no doubt hundreds more like them that are still stuck out there..
I understand and respect individual freedom of choice.. but there is such a thing called “Common Sense”..
People don’t realize the risk, time and cost of a helicopter rescue.. life risks of the pilot and crew.. the cost of equipment and fuel.. up to tens of thousands of dollars per rescue..
Those Coast Guard guys down in the shit.. they don’t get paid worth a flip for what they do.. and monetary donations to some obscure organization will never reach these guys..
After all of this is more under control and you really want to do something worthy..
Go buy a few boxes or pairs of “Mechanix” or “Gorilla” gloves.. Large size.. and bring or mail them to the nearest Coast Guard station..
After having to consider hurricane evacuations a few times I know how expensive hotels and restaurants can be unless there are nearby relatives to stay with, or an RV that can be moved far to an available rental lot. After two recent house/property hunting trips to Florida, I’ve a much better sense of how many people there are who live day-to-day on extremely limited incomes (many SS alone).
With no money or reliable car to evacuate, staying may be the only choice for many. After Katrina, who could trust government shelter style evacuations.
I grew up in Florida in the 60’s weathering many hurricanes. No one evacuated. But this is not the same Florida. it’s population/housing densities have grown exponentially at a blistering pace – most of it in low lying coastal areas. . Long gone are the 5 story hotels and one-story concrete block homes.
Exactly.
I grew up in Florida in the 60’s and 70s. We ran from every one of them. Lots of people did not. Mom had a good job at Kennedy Space Center and they shut down for every hurricane (they still do, Artemis was rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building). There are still one-story concrete block homes all over Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island. Many have been replaced. Most have been upgraded.
Mom quit evacuating, Texas Gulf Coast, after dad died. Horrid. Great family stress. Best I could do, was phone her local police and give them her details, including her 2 small dogs, where their crates were. Mom would have me in jail, before she’d evacuate. Mom now gone, I will always pray for this specific segment of residents, their families trying to get them to evacuate.
Godspeed all affected by Ian.
I understand your mom. It gets harder and harder to evacuate. I got tired of it after 9 years as a child and 27 as an adult. I moved inland. I am a senior.
A very descriptive overview of catastrophe. Praying for all of you. I recall flying to Hurricane Andrew with the 101st Airborne to deliver supplies around Miami-Dade and Homestead areas. We were there for a few weeks and saw, first hand, the amazing power of humanity and a determined and focused generous American spirit. I hope the US military is quick to assist with a herculean effort after Ian. God Bless you, Sundance and family.
When I was a young kid, I remember the New Jersey beaches after Hurricane Hazel or Diane. You would go mile after mile and see nothing but a pipe sticking out of the sand. or maybe bricks of a fire place, but no structures. The coastal town were essentially eliminated and new inlets were cut. – some so large that bridges had to be built to connect them. That left an indelible impression that hurricanes aren’t something you can bargain with. You get the hell our of Dodge.
Publius,
You were smart to do so.
In my prayers.
Prayers for your family and all the people of Lee County and beyond. Mine and other’s prayers were answered as my youngest daughter sat out the storm just north of Tampa. She is at the airport now to return home today. I am in shock that Sundance stayed there through this storm.
Prayers for everyone in Florida!
Never lived in hurricane alley, but when Hugo hit Charleston we were living upstate in SC. People did what people did in 1989. Church groups organized teams to go into the damage areas after the all clear was sounded. Our church sent in teams every week for three months. We reroofed houses. Replaced windows. Rebuilt entry ways. Cleared driveways. All volunteers. All free. When we moved to NC our new church sent crews to LA and MS after Katrina. I pray we see this again.
The photo you pictured is so touching. The horrific disasters tht have ravished this earth have only been comforted by Faith, love and people helping each other. In my twenties we lost everything from a fire and barely got out with our lives. You never get over losing everything and the fear . The unimaginable is losing someone in the midst of everything going around you. I know you are grateful you and your family survived. They come first so try not to spread yourself too thin from over helping others , you are exceptional and loved. Wish we knew who you are and maybe someday we will know. For those of you tht know Sundance you are fortunate. A true Stalwart. May God bless Florida and the States in harms way Ian is still churning away to destroy.
Sundance- Take care… in the evening, when you sit to let your calluses rest at Casa Del Sundance, enjoy a cigar and look at the stars and count your blessings.
I just hope we don’t have to do the same thing chez Chateau Saginaw after The Big One.
My aunt lived on Sanibel she lost everything and she’s 85 years old….my cousins and I are afraid of what this will do to her
She has lived a long time. Life is full of change and loss. She is strong and resilient. She may surprise you.
We are all rooting for you…
Fort Myers to Tampa Road Trip Gound Report
My son was evacuating up I-75 from Fort Myers to Tampa today.
Aound North Port/ Myakka River he saw what he described as a literal rapids of water running along the east side of northbound I-75.
There was a convoy of 20 ambulances on the northbound SHOULDER going lights and sirens and led by a cop.
He saw houses to the east flooded and people were trying to get to the houses using frickin’ pool floaties to evacuate people.
Radio said Myakka River expected to rise 5 more feet to record crest.
He says that I-75 will likely be flooded in that area for days with the additional rise in water level.
So glad you and yours are OKAY!! Praying for all of you among the devastation. You are a valuable person to me Sundance.
Thanks to Sundance for the updates and glad you and family are okay.
I have been through Category 1 and those are scary, cannot imagine Cat 4 or 5.
Anybody with news about Lakeland-Clermont area near Orlando? My brother and family are there and we have not heard from him.
My friend is in Lakeland in a double wide. Lost his car port but has always had cell service
Sundance, where do you live, if you don’t mind me asking. I am in Punta Gorda. Been following you for a very long time. Did not know we were neighbors. Would love to but you coffee, lunch or perhaps dinner at some point.
I live on a barrier island in FL. I also have a house built to the latest hurricane code. Anyone living on a barrier island in FL, in non-code housing (looking at you mobile home owners) should immediately reevaluate their housing choices. Prayers to the people affected by Ian.
You do realize that a cat 4 or cat 5 pretty much damages ALL manmade structures. Building to code means a little less damage but it is no guarantee.
Praying for you and the family!!
https://www.noaa.gov/stories/damage-assessment-imagery-shows-aftermath-of-hurricane-ian-ext
Godspeed Sundance. God bless the people of FL.
I can tell you’re nearby, from all the reference points. Here in Cape Coral, damage is stunning. But I’ve seen such kindness with everyone I’ve encountered; now we need God’s help to stay strong together.
Can I make a suggestion Sundance ?
perhaps it might be worth thinking about starlink. For personal and professional applications.
there are many starlink users who have shown how to install the sat set but also on a vehicle. It’s quite a nice system and quite reliable (even in local severe weather events…LEO sats require far less power and have great coverage, hi bandwidth, and low latency.)
Just a thought. It’s like one of those types of tech that seems expensive and kind of luxurious…but in reality, it is in fact one of the most powerful types of tech that is very useful for mobile operations. Just ask Ukraine. Or some people using it near the polar region where the wx is ridiculously poor and never ends
When you want reliability, a means to get comms established. Even if just for your own personal reasons and purposes, I can’t think of too many tech items that even comes close.
Just a thought
God Bless America
Ps. I have personally sent Elon Musk a PM asking that he send you a set. He has all the info ..no response yet, but I think he is a pretty good guy when it comes to things like this. Think of it this way: the man sex “I am a free speech absolutist”. He isn’t just writing that and saying it to be provocative. He really means it. He has read your work. He does not participate like “we” do, but he has an awareness. That’s all I know. All I need to know.
Starlink. (I will send the info via email to the cth official email ..)
no strings attached. Nothing expected in return. Use it how you see fit and if it works great. if not, great too.
no harm, no foul
God Bless America
Sundance, My heart and prayers go out to you, your family and your community. God Bless you all!
I had to find some before pics of areas to understand what I was seeing in new pics. They said it was large 2 + counties are shredded. This is going to be years to fully rebuilt.
Praying for you and those affected.