There is a particular texture and smell familiar to those who have trekked through saltwater marshes. In ordinary times the moment when the greyish matter takes custody of your shoe, you quickly ponder whether to stick your hand into it or just buy another pair of sandals and move on… often it’s the latter.
The sand, sediment, dirt and decomposing nature -to include fish bits and wildlife food sources- creates a blended muck and grows slowly over years. The moist muck does not like to be disturbed. It has a very particular smell when it is disturbed, until it dries, almost like a natural defense mechanism. Hurricane Ian disturbed the backwater shoreline inland and introduced that sludge mix to places it was never before, like inside buildings. Thankfully it is drying out now.
The officials in charge of Fort Myers Beach have determined that almost every structure on the island is unsafe after the storm pushed a massive surge of water onto the island while the wind destroyed the buildings. Residents are being carefully managed and kept away from areas where search crews are still looking through rubble.
A plan for a limited number of residents to be bussed into one part of the area to look for belongings has been released [link]. Beach officials are calling it, “debris management and the effort to locate our friends and loved ones.” It is now a full ten days later, and no one wants to use the real words, ‘dead people.’ I think about Ms Veronica being so clear and true in her point a few days ago, “there are dead people and there are survivors.”
Further north and to the west on Pine Island there are lots of survivors. With the temporary road giving access, there are lots of people picking up bits, fragments, and other important stuff that holds their memories; each bit revisited in the handling of it, many bits thought about tenderly for the first time in decades. Fragmented bits hold memories, and those memories are exactly what make up the invisible links of our lives.
Living is what we do right now, but life is in the memories. I have my own cigar box full of bits that I have thought about recently, and now as we watch how each individual person picks up their bits amid the chaos, I have greater context for why they matter.
Memories matter.
A recently widowed Ms. Grace was describing life after her husband died when she said, “my husband George was here” and immediately -despite all the chaos around her- she reached for one bit to prove it. Memories matter. Yes, those bits matter.
On a practical level the ability to retrieve the mementos of life is a big part of why clearing the way, what the officials call “cut and toss”, is important. Pine Island is accessible now and generally vehicle transit to within walking distance of most bits is possible. However, after a day of retrieval the long-haul perspective sinks in.
The whisper of ‘daunting‘ wants everyone to look at the scale of the challenge. We have new phrases like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to explain what the daunting dance does to the psyche. However, the wise rebuilders are looking only at the two feet in front of them. Move that pile today and it will not be there tomorrow. So, I shall move that pile… for tomorrow. And for the many more tomorrows to come, we are blessed and thankful.
For a great representation of who/how Pine Islanders are, as well as the resourcefulness of those who are attached to the community, this local video story is one example amid hundreds that are identical. WATCH:
https://youtu.be/u17XNyzfx_4
.
Pine Island Strong
Here’s the notification for FMB…
Love to all. More later….
~ Sundance
I so dislike “government management”.
Shame on DeSantis. Big NO vote from me.
Huge yes vote for me.
Do continue to shill for Crist. I am sure hurricane recovery would be so much better if Crist or better yet Andrew Guillem were in charge. Heck we probably wouldn’t even have hurricanes any more. /s
So proud of my governor!
Thank you,Ron DeSantis!
I am sure he didn’t mean he would vote for those two idiots.
You knew what he meant.
I’m in Florida, I don’t know what he meant.
Don’ live in Fl, but I don’t know what he meant either.
I believe DeSantis is doing an awesome job. Gove him some credit! Everyone is doing the best they can.
Florida is so fortunate to have him in this crisis. No governor is a better manager.
Get with it – Florida has had hurricanes for decades.
You don’t think they know the drill by now?
They need a gov to tell them?
Please.
Yes we’ve experienced alot of hurricanes but this is a different animal. Not every hurricane is a killer hurricane and this one was a murderer. No “drill” for coming home and there’s no bridge to get there, and, no home. I get it, you don’t want DeSantis to be President, fair enough. Don’t for a second think he isn’t the right person for this moment.
My son just moved from Panama City Beach to St. Petersburg 2 weeks before Ian. Thank GOD and Jesus he was only without power for less than 48 hours. My Governor had all the first-responders, powerliners, heavy lift equipment, etc. all set in place. We’re doing all we can. Help those in need if you can. Desperation, destruction and sorrow 1 week later. So sad yet so blessed here in the Panhandle. We get spanked too. Prayers up SWFLA..
In Waveland MS post Katrina the National Guard kept people out completely- we were only allowed in when 80% of the dead bodies were pulled from the trees and debris where they had lain. I helped pull dead dogs and cats- that was bad enough. The disease vector is high in these circumstances- the Red Cross was there to inspect us daily and give us antibiotics and other shots- just getting the water on your skin can make you sick.
Why?
Have you ever experienced a hurricane? If you have, you must already know….
What they are doing is not unreasonable for hurricane response. There are many ways people can get hurt in the devastation we are seeing in Florida. I have been fortunate enough not to have to endure such devastation but I have been through 11 of them (some minor and some not so minor) and have seen it bad enough to know that all areas impacted by hurricanes have to do things like that to protect the people who lived there and are anxious to get back to their homes. DeSantis is going out of his way to accommodate the citizens who live in his state.
I live on the crystal coast of North Carolina and I’ve seen such as this. DeSantis and SUNDANCE and others helping with the clean up and rebuilding (if possible) deserve kudos for what they are doing and have done, certainly NOT CRITICISM.
To criticise what they are doing is unreal and shows a total lack of understanding.
Have you ever experienced a hurricane?
Great question….One would more than likely be correct if they believed that ari is most experienced in cause and effect of monkey pox.
I bet Ari lives in Canada.
It’s not the job of the state or city to make the world “safe”. Yes you could very easily be hurt in the wreckage that’s Fort Myers Beach but that doesn’t give the state the right to keep me from my property. The whole “allow” people to visit their property is noxious and anathema to freedom. Anyone who makes excuses for this government behavior is an enemy of freedom and self reliance.
And yes I have been through many hurricanes in my 54 years as a Floridian. I was mildly impacted by this hurricane and have been flooded and had my roof crushed in previous hurricanes. I’ve been without power for weeks.
Unfortunately, we have not yet reached the point that we allow people to fully suffer the consequences of their stupid decisions. Paramedics carry Narcan for self-inflicted drug overdoses. They transport people in car accidents to the hospital, even if they chose not to wear their seat belt.
Yes, David, you could very easily be hurt in the wreckage of the hurricane if you chose to go crawling through unstable debris. If we as a society could ever reach the point that we would allow people to fully suffer the consequences of their stupid decisions, without expending MY tax dollars to rescue them, then you should be granted the freedom to maim or kill yourself without government interference.
You should run for governor then.
Why on earth would someone be so unsmart. A no vote or a not show up to vote is a vote for the enemy. Shame on you.
Troll by an other name gets hungry ?
suck it easy
Would another governor be better for you? How about we bring in Nagen formerly of LA or Newsome or Hochol from NY? Maybe we should get the governor of Puerto Rico over here to help. More than a month after they were hit with a hurricane there are still over 100,000 without power. Would that be good for you? Do you even live in FL? Have you been here for a major hurricane? What more could DeSantis do to please you?
I have lived in FL for most of the last 40 years, the response to hurricanes gets better every time. The first major I went thru was when I lived near Ft. Lauderdale, no power for 17 days. After the next major storm the power was back on the next day. Florida has learned from each storm and the response gets better after each with the lessons learned.
Ari,
I suggest you stay away from anyone conducting drug or alcohol testing. That you have been excessively indulging in such substances is the only factor I can believe could inspire such an inordinately foolish statement as the one you wrote at 4:33.
I fervently wish Governor Ron DeSantis was my state’s governor instead of the RINO we have.
Country girl- You do realize this is local Govt and not state saying this??? You do realize your Commie bud OBiden met and talked with this local Mayor/Govt pre and post Hurricane??
Keep getting played -you deserve what’s coming.
Shame for what?
Does big NO mean you’re a Dem and vote several times?
This post was not meant as a dig at anyone..just bureaucracies.
I got your drift 😉
That Fire Department ‘Access Plan’ is about the most thoughtful, considerate, and intelligent document I’ve ever seen from a ‘government’ agency. Makes eminent sense to me.
I am real country and just not into community regs, etc. Fortunate to be where there are few. When my parents farm home burned many years ago, we were in salvaging memories as soon as the fire was out. Very different, I know, but the waiting would be so hard. Prayers for all involved.
Tragic that it is, a burned home is one bldg. , affects one family.
Hurricanes, forest fires, earthquakes affect hundreds, thousands, sometimes millions. There has to be central authority and staging.
I live on the coast. After one hurricane, we shoveled sand into buckets from our second floor porch for days and carried them back down to the dune. Our situation was nothing compared to what the people are going through in FL.
Greg Gutfeld had a great, though dark, joke last night.
“Joe Biden toured Florida to view the devastation caused by Ian. Meanwhile Ian touted the rest of the country to view the devastation caused by Joe Biden.”
Not arguing your point. Just get anxiety even thinking about living in such a congested area with the need for those factors and such catastrophic disasters to deal with. I ache for those who have to deal with it.
My parents lost their mountain house to a house fire explosion..my mom was killed, no body..dad survived…I think it was better that way..we did not have to sift through remnants of possessions as my friend on Pine Island is doing now. last night my friend posted a picture of her blown apart roof..I can tell she is growing tired, the task of rebuilding may seem out of reach..
I’ve heard authorities are afraid hundreds are dead in Fort Meyers, yet to be recovered
So. If they let the people back they could find all the dead in 1 day.
Sure, that’s a plan. Decaying bodies, mentally destroyed family members and friends when they find them. What could go wrong?
Not to mention the looters.
EXACTLY. Access to these areas MUST be controlled until law enforcement can be available. Looters should be shot, but you can bet a lot of them carry guns too and would have no qualms about shooting back at those trying to stop their crimes.
Do you ever have anything positive to say?
I do think residents want to sift through debris before the next storm front rolls through to salvage what they can. I think your comments are in support of individual property rights? Or did I read you wrong from your posts?
Hopefully not, all the media is salivating over a beefed up body count to pin on DeSantis, making Ian his “Katrina” even though nobody has any clue to this day exactly how many people died in that storm or aftermath due to gross malfeasance by Demonrat leadership in Louisiana. And I think Mr.West was spot on when he said GWB “didn’t care about black people” way back in ’05.. I will never forget the look on Mike Myers face when Kanye said that during the telethon they were hosting.
Bull. Mr. West was emoting. The gubmint problem with Katrina was the mayor, Ray Nagin, and the idiot governor of the state. Look it up. Nagin had HIS family ride the storm out in Dallas.
I know all about the mismanagement of the levee system, lift pumps and about RayRays last minute escape and the cowardly cops who hauled tail to Houston 2 days before the storm. GWB didn’t really care about any of us, looking back. The Feds knew for days there was no State response.
My ailing memory, jiggled a bit, and has a flavor reminiscent of Chicago pay to play….:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-edla/pr/c-ray-nagin-former-new-orleans-mayor-convicted-federal-bribery-honest-services-wire
https://www.wbrz.com/news/former-new-orleans-mayor-ray-nagin-released-from-fed-prison-early-due-to-pandemic/
WeeWeed,
What a lot of people don’t understand is that a President of the U.S. CANNOT intervene in a state’s internal affairs without a request from the state’s governor. Louisiana’s Governor, Kathleen Blanco, was criminally negligent in failing to ask the Federal Government for help. She waited far longer than she should have despite having been personally informed by GWB that she needed to do that for him to open up the spigot of Federal help.
Almost the entire Katrina story that everyone thinks they know is wrong. Mississippi, which got hit MUCH harder, handled the storm’s aftermath, with Federal help, far better than Louisiana did. Louisiana was abysmally bad in responding and most of the blame goes directly on Blanco and Nagin.
Yup! The Guard was sent in right after the levee broke and the stories are horrid, especially the body removal and trying to talk to Blanco/Nagin about what their duties were.
There was no real men who could have gotten those school buses out filled with people ahead of time? The Dome was a YUGE enclosed toilet!
From what I remember the governor never reached out for federal help.
Katrina, Ray Nagin mayor of New Orleans, a democrat, was incarcerated for Katrina related malfeasance , Superdome and the horrors that went with it, flooded lined up school buses, the cry for federal aid from DC, Fema camps, etc. Ian and Florida. Stunning difference.
Very devastating memories…see my links upthread…
Nagin got let out out prison for the plandemic.
Prayers for you and all who are affected by this… Bless you all
Agreed. But ocean from and in is a choice and lifestyle.
Comes with these things.
Adding my prayers for you Sundance, and all the rescuers, and all affected in the Fort Myers area.
Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach are not the same place. Pine Island is my kind of place.
We go to Pine Island for a month vaca every year. Quiet, friendly….and quiet. I think this years trip is going to be hard… God bless them all.
a “working vacation” at Pine Island will give you unimaginable dividends.
Is there anything we can do to help?
Donate button up top. 😉
Donate to people who choose to live on the path of destruction….
Some people this is house 5 or 6… It sucks but seriously ya live on the ocean or close to it.
It’s 1000 percent guarantee your house will be destroyed…
Donate TO THIS SITE.
And if i may take a liberty…
I do sincerely hope that you are never in a position to need the help of others. Though if by misfortune you are, I also hope that the kindness of any who might step up to help you will soften your heart.
Biggest lesson in life…don’t think it can’t happen to you.
Blessings to you.
Where are you at, ToTT? No problems ever, I am sure.
We had a tornado hit Pittsburgh in 1998..hit my neighborhood, said it could never happen because of the elevation..well it did.
That is not necessarily true. The construction of block and impact windows can sustain up to 197mph winds. That and an elevation of 13’. Some the coastal homes are being updated on a regular bases and being brought up to current code unless you want to pay prohibitive insurance fees. Even at that, some choose to self insure after a certain level and carry a large deductible. Those who have been critical of people choosing to live on the coast… we pay dearly for that luxury. We live in an AE area and have paid well over $700k in insurance premiums over the last 22 years. And, without a single claim. Property taxes have been even higher. So please, if we choose to live here there are many of us who have paid for that privilege.
Norma Jean,
I respect your choice and admire your clear-sighted assessment of that situation. Would that everyone saw these potential danger issues as you do. As the old saw goes, “you pays your money and you takes your chance.”
If you are in FL remember EVERY Florida homeowner who has Insurance also pays for your luxury-the additional Citizens United premium tacked onto every policy written in the State.
Homeowners insurance in FL is almost cost prohibitive now. Hurricane deductibles keep rising. Not near the coast and we have paid $600k over 20 years.
Respectfully speaking, no one has paid for our luxury other than us. Perhaps you didn’t read it correctly.. we have had zero claims and lived through 5 hurricanes. We made it a point to stay with current code living on the water. EVERY homeowner pays the same required fees proportionately to insured value/zone in accordance to how you write your policy. It’s a decision we all make living in Florida no matter your location.
https://theconversation.com/amp/the-big-reason-florida-insurance-companies-are-failing-isnt-just-hurricane-risk-its-fraud-and-lawsuits-191860
My FL HO Insurance has doubled in the last few years.
Ain’t seen nuttin’ girl. My fixed income is about to get ‘Un-Fixed’ right after the Election. GOD is letting us know HE is still in charge. Prayers up for our brothers and sisters in the worse possible times of their lives. I’ve been wet,sad, broke and cold but by GOD’s grace I always had a roof over my head and a heartbeat. I’m stepping up tomorrow. I’ll due my diligence and be sure my donation (s) is received by the proper channels for distribution. These people have NOTHING! Let that sink in my Bro’s and Sis’s. Maybe my local Rescue Mision is getting increased traffic from Ian. I’ll call tomorrow first thing. Always think ‘LOCAL’ first, starting with FAMILY!
I live in Panama City Beach. My homeowners insurance (USAA) is a seperate policy from Windstorm (Citizen’s) and Flood (FEMA). I fully expect my policy to be canceled.
Also, where we moved from after 20 years there,AnnaMaria, fl. u haven’t been able to build ground floor livable space since 1998, also stronger building codes for roofs and windows. 1st floor= 2?car garage and 2 storage rooms. Pray and help others
Do you go to the beach?? Look what tax money is spent every storm to make sure you have a beach to go to.
Have to give Floridians and DeSantis credit on the construction of the “temporary” Pine Island bridge.
Anywhere else, the State would need to study, make sure it was environmentally sound, that the sea turtles were not disturbed, publicly bid, insure that minority contractors were treated “fairly” in the bidding process and finally constructed.
Good job Florida…
According to Sundance, ” A few days before Governor Ron DeSantis announced the State DOT effort to help build the temporary bridge, locals from Honc Marine were already in ‘git r done‘ mode.”
I have friends who live just on the outside of the Florida border.
He is an engineer on the local council and she runs a trawler.
He has been seccondered to Florida, He reports that there is no red tape.
You want something done. Do it, and it happens.
She reports, as the Florida trawler fleet is wreckage, catch what you can. Nobody is going to be looking for problems.
That “can do” action will show up as a big difference from places where the process is considered more important than the result.
Brings to mind the Russians. Just sayin’!
Don’t forget the mandatory bicycle lanes ….
I hope my friend Travis Megee is OK he lives on a boat named the busted flush out on
the empty copper sea .
Um-hmm. I’m sure he’s fine.
Glad to hear it. I don’t think Miss Agnes would do well after being flooded by salt water. Lucas electrical systems were dicey enough without that additional impediment! Lucas Electrics–made by the people who invented darkness!
He’s at slip F-18, Bahia Mar, out of Lauderdale.
Travis is on the other side of the state. It’s Doc Ford I’m worried about.
Randy Wayne White (whose brainchild is Doc Ford) weathered the storm on Sanibel and is fine. His sons were on Pine Island and are ok too. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/author-randy-wayne-white-faced-down-hurricane-ian-on-sanibel/ar-AA12AKnH
Loved those books, read a lot of them when I was a kid growing up.
Read every one of his books!!!
The attitudes, care, concerns and help is the America I grew up in way back 40’s-early 60’s. Gives me hope for our future.
Still praying For you yours and all affected thanks for the update Sundance be well stay strong
R.D.
It’s losing memorabilia and mementos that hurt the most. Houses and structures can be rebuilt, though I know there is devastation in watching one’s home reduced to nothing.
What we carry in our memories and in our hearts are by far our most precious possessions, and no disaster can take them away. They are safe there, and I hope people who have lost physical keepsakes will be able to draw more strongly on those, though I realize the grief felt by people on their losses will take time to adjust to.
I am reminded of my loved and much missed mother in law. She used to call such memories “mental cocktails”. Whenever she was feeling down or sorrowful, she’d say, “I think it’s time for a little mental cocktail.” Her “cabinet” was full and was a source of great comfort when she needed one.
So I pray those who are enduring this nightmare now will one day be able to gain some solace from their “cabinets” as my mother in law did from hers.
A real gift was your mother-in-law. I had one such and feel blessed. Salute, Nancy! She would have done well in this storm event. God love you.
She was something else. She was unflappable. Her motto in any untoward event was, “La la la.” Rolled with the punches. And her favourite phrase?
“This, too, shall pass.”
As all things do…
OMG, that’s what my husband of 47 years use to say to me every time something bad happened. Thanks for the memory.
You are welcome, Dixie. When we’re in the thick of it, it’s difficult to remember nothing is permanent…except the One who is Eternal.
Lotsa firearms have been washed out to sea I am sure.. 😉
I wouldn’t be surprised. So many the sea level has probably risen.
🙂
😁
There is always room at the bottom of Lake Michigan…
Bet there isn’t…😉🤗
Yes,yes, that’s my experience as well. 😎
Lots is precious metals have been lost too!😁
Awwwww Betsy, truly touching!
Pine Island Strong
God Bless. Peace and comfort to those still looking for loved ones.
Stay safe and healthy, Sundance.
That video gave me chills. What a treasure that son is(and his friends).
Two feet more, Sundance. God is walking each two feet with you.🙏🏼🇺🇸❤️
Every parent should be so blessed with a child like this.
To Sundance, these updates are greatly appreciated. Prayers and God Speed to all who are affected by this terrible storm.
Thanks for the beautifully worded update Sundance.
You carried me back….I haven’t thought about my cigar box in a long time.
Praying for your continued protection, and for abundant blessings for you and yours.
God Bless!
Praying for you Sundance and all that had the surge devastation. I’m in south gulf cove across Charlotte harbor from Punta Gorda. (Moved from MA a year ago). Two days before Ian hit we were the forecasted surge area and last minute plan B evacuation being considered. Ian then shifted a little further south and we were getting a direct eye of the hurricane hit with the surge hitting more south. You want to be thankful the surge didn’t hit your area but it feels so very wrong as it decimated another. We were in the eye wall for over 6 hours with the damage that comes from those high winds and rain, yet we know others are suffering so much more. Our power was just restored and our roof tarped soon. If you’d like a home cooked meal a warm shower or anything just message me. Treepers stick together.
We almost bought a house in s gulf cove when we first moved down here . Beautiful area. We ended up in Anna Maria Island. Now in Naples. Sorry for your hardships. We had Charlie , 2 years after moved here. Pray and help others.
Thank you. Glad you made it through as well. My Mom’s in Naples beautiful area.
how did adaption to the heat work? I’m in WV and we roll about the thought of Florida ….but then the heat
My husband was worried about it too. He didn’t even like hot NE summers. But it’s like the winter up north you mostly stay in the heated indoors or dress appropriately for outdoor activities … here in summer you mostly stay in the AC, the shade with a fan or in the water. Yard work is done early in the morning and drink lots of water. The summer is when the beaches here are the best. Warm water, plenty of free parking, and not many people…love it. My husband doesn’t love the humidity (no one does) but he admits it’s doesn’t seem as bad as when we first came. A little sweating is better than shoveling or driving on snow and ice. And unlike NE where temps can go range from zero to 100 during the year here it’s usually 70’s to 90’s many states have a higher record temp than Florida…even Alaska believe it or not. The humidity isn’t the problem you adjust to it….it’s the bugs.
You get up early to tend to outside work. It takes a year or so for your blood to adjust. August and September are tough. We are here for 35 years now. I would never live in NJ again. When the weather breaks we trim and cut back all the landscape. There’s always the boat and fishing and fresh air! Right now we are well into our second box of yard bags. I don’t know where half of the leaves and branches came from. This was one crazy storm. A dress rehearsal for our area. Our plans need to be modified.
Hey Emma,
Lots of people from up north move down to Florida, find the bugs and heat too much for them so they move HALFWAY back to NORTH CAROLINA. We use to laugh about this a lot because there really are a lot of Northerners here.
Your state is absolutely beautiful. Rolling hills and lots of greenery. It is very impressive.
Emma, SW PA here..we have a house on Amelia Island, north of Jacksonville and it is much like SC..many days it will be warmer in Pittsburgh..we don’t have lots of critters, and the humidity isn’t bas at all..In 2021 we bought another home in Ocala, FL..about 120 miles SW of Amelia, 80 miles NW of Orlando..it will run maybe 10 degrees warmer, sunnier than Amelia and humidity and critters about the same..kind of reminds me of Washington Co PA with rolling hills and horse farms..we love both areas and Ocala is very affordable..a short drive to Daytona, and about 40 miles from the Rainbow River and Crystal River.
Thank you for these updates. I’m very happy and grateful that I’ve never seen this level of devastation.
Thank you for taking the time to share. The days are dragging on. It seems. I promise this will be a memory of the positive more than the negative. Our brains seem to work that way. The people who are posting are doing a fine job. As well as all of your readers. Before the Hurricane and now. I read as many if not all comments and learn a lot from the readers as well. God Bless.
Sundance
Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
prayers for you and a huge thank you for all you do.
I can see that controlling the people going into the area of destruction could significantly cut down on the number of looters and other miscreants, thereby safeguarding the innocent.
Government has a role here. And not all government is evil.
The disease vector is high. Just getting some of the standing water on your skin can send you to the hospital if you are not full of drugs to counter act what you come into contact with.
In 1900 a category 4 hurricane hit Galveston, Texas. At the time Galveston was a thriving port and an up and coming city in Texas. The hurricane changed all of that.
There’s a great book, “Isaac’s Storm” by David Larson about the town, the survivors and the man who had only a barometer to predict the size of the coming storm.
We can see the hurricanes coming today but we still can’t escape them.
Sundance, you and your fellow survivors are something special.
“On September 8, 1900, a Category 4 hurricane ripped through Galveston, Texas, killing an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 people. At the time of the 1900 hurricane, Galveston, nicknamed the Oleander City, was filled with vacationers. Sophisticated weather forecasting technology didn’t exist at the time, but the U.S. Weather Bureau issued warnings telling people to move to higher ground. However, these advisories were ignored by many vacationers and residents alike. A 15-foot storm surge flooded the city, which was then situated at less than 9 feet above sea level, and numerous homes and buildings were destroyed. The hurricane remains the worst weather-related disaster in U.S. history in terms of loss of life.”
One of my several great grandmothers was the sole survivor of her family of 11 – fresh off the boat from Norway. If you’ve ever seen any pictures, it was awful.
There was an orphanage in Galveston at that time, on the beachfront , run by nuns, and they were all inside when the storm came. They found them of course, drowned. The nuns had tied the children together to themselves so they would not get swept apart.
I am glad your great grandmother survived WeeWeed. Here you are to prove it.
Yes, I was aware of that. So sad – and it was good thinking (for a lot smaller surge than they got.) As far as how my grandmother survived, I don’t remember offhand – seems like she was working somewhere else in the city as a maid. I just don’t remember right this minute. 🙂
y’all aren’t going to believe this..
back in the day when I moved to Galveston my place overlooked a marshy area between the condos and the beach..
the area has since been filled in and they built one of those Walmart Supercenter mega retail outlet complexes over it now..
but back then my place overlooked that area and I had an open ocean view across the grassy marsh..
whenever I was outside on the balcony enjoying the sea breeze and view.. I could never figure out where the distant noises of children playing were coming from..
Texian,
For all the years I lived there, I never looked upon the Gulf of Mexico with anything other than concern and, sometimes, outright fear. I just KNEW that water was going to come back someday and do again what it did in 1900, and I didn’t want to be there when that happened.
They say that in a hurricane you hide from wind and run from water. There isn’t much place to run on Galveston Island, and those Gulf waves get awfully big awfully fast. I would never live there again under any circumstances. I’ve seen what wave damage can do and I don’t want any part of it ever again. If I had to live in Texas again I wouldn’t live any closer to the Gulf Coast than Conroe!
So gut wrenching.
The author’s name is Erik Larson. One of my favorites.
Thanks! My bad.
Larson wrote Devil in the White City, an all time classic of a serial killer on the loose at the Chicago World’s Fair over 100 years ago.
Lindak,
I have that book and have read it. Larson did a superlative job and I highly recommend it. The story meant more to me than most, as I lived on Galveston Island for some years.
As a child, I met people who lived through that storm. To a person they said it was the most incredibly scary event of their lives. The worst part for most was that the storm surge didn’t really hit until that night, when pretty much all lighting was long since extinguished by the storm.
Consequently, most people never saw it coming and didn’t know what hit them until their houses were smashed off their foundations and awash in the flood that swept most of the Island from the Gulf to the Bay. It must have been absolutely terrifying to have a house breaking up around you and getting washed away in high waves while still in pitch darkness!
The story of that hurricane really was well done. Terrifying! Living through one is not necessary after getting that preview. Floridians and the Gulf states are really tough people.
God gave ya balls, use em.
That doesn’t seem popular anymore. No one is to ruffle any feathers .
In my world we call it big property skills. The ability to take enormous tasks and break them down into achievable steps that move the ball forward to the larger goal. After hurricanes, even big property skills get tested, not even on large properties but just in individual lives. Most people nowadays can’t measure time frames in months, much less years. But that’s the reality after a big one hits. I was in Homestead yesterday. 30 years after Andrew, and I can still see the scars from things that have never gotten over it. To anybody affected by Ian, the best advice I can give you is just keep plugging along. Nothing will be fixed to your satisfaction quickly, but it will get fixed. You’ll get through it. Perseverance is an underrated skill. Be patient, be kind, and realize, the sun’s going to come out tomorrow. We are lucky as Americans. Our basic needs are always met. Prayers to all. Keep the faith
The event and concert production person in me does not understand why there is foot dragging to build temporary structures for both residents and first responders. Complete mini cities are built to host music festivals which includes power, sanitation, food, restroom and shower trailers, port-a-potties, internet and cell communication networks, etc. This could easily be done even for the most severely damaged areas.
Barges should be loaded with all of this type of equipment including skid steers, front end loaders, etc. Creating the mini-city doesn’t have to be set up in one central location either but set up as pods in different quadrants of the affected areas to reduce time going back and forth for supplies.
If I’m missing something please let me know aside from the usual government bureaucracy.
Sonya, that is a spot on observation. Perhaps when the dust settles a little bit, contact the governor’s office and see if you can find someone willing to hear you out. Almost every system designed by humans to deal with situations was brought by somebody linking existing ideas with foreseeable needs. You would think that they would always be just common sense and that everyone would see how obvious things are. But it doesn’t work that way. But it’s entirely possible that no one in Emergency Management has ever crossed paths with anyone in event production. Somebody has to point things out, and introduce new ideas to the existing. In this case, maybe it’s you. You never know
Thank you. You made a very good observation about people in Emergency Management not crossing paths with event production personnel. I am going to create an idea guide that incorporates event production and experiential marketing into Emergency Management. It can’t hurt to shop the ideas to them. Even if they didn’t take it up on a larger scale government level, there’s no reason why smaller organizations, churches couldn’t implement some of the ideas themselves.
I forgot to include how experiential (experience marketing) could be implemented. Survivors are in a shell-shocked, fragile mode. Facilities with a spartan, utilitarian feel to them do nothing to ease them out of that mode. Adding in “extras” such as flooring, plants, green carpeting, lighting, couches, tables, chairs, etc. People’s mental and emotional health needs to be cared for just as much as everything else. Giving people spaces to relax and decompress can help in their recovery.
Imagine just putting up some air conditioned tents and chairs where people can lower their core body temperature who aren’t used to working out in the heat.
You are brilliant. This comment needs to be picked up by Sundance who seems to have connections and passed on to the powers that be.
Look at how fast doped up hipsters assemble Burning Man in the middle of a desert..
I imagine the stench from rotting fish, raw sewage, those who did not make it would make the areas devastated by the storm, not to mention the wreckage of destroyed homes from nails sticking out of lumber to broken glass and who knows what else has been strewn at random all over the area is enough to not let tent cities such as being imagined happen.
The people who desperately want to return to where their homes, or loved ones, are, would be doubly devastated to arrive and see everything bulldozed into unsearchable piles. They need this time to go there, pick over what little is left, and accept that yes bulldozing and rebuilding will need to be done. It’s that human dimension of grief that it looks like the powers that be are also taking into consideration.
IMHO, that was an A+ comment, Bessie.
Sometimes some levity helps during sad times. The Babylon Bee brings up the unheeded cry for Fed help by depicting a Ukranian flag so the govt will help:
https://babylonbee.com/news/hurricane-ravaged-florida-town-raises-ukraine-flag-so-congress-will-send-aid
Sad and funny, and unfortunately, true. God bless our fabulous neighbors in the Sunshine State as they struggle and grow even stronger through that struggle.
Unfortunately more on target than realized. Just wait till people realize FEMA is a bust. Hasn’t been worth a dime since Obama-
And you can’t make a claim until you have a claim thru your insurance company which then causes your rates to go up due to a claim. My experience with FEMA is you are better off being uninsured and an illegal alien. For the rest of us FEMA has disgust.
Reminds me of poem by Wislawa Szymborska
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52955/the-end-and-the-beginning
I love Wislawa!
Thank you for the thoughtful update Sundance. There’s no way we can comprehend it without being there and experiencing it, but I felt a small bit of it with your words. You have a gift. Still praying.
Reading this in all the subtle detail took me back to our losses in a 2015 California firestorm. We had no warning of a monster that raged toward us faster than we could move. We were lucky and got out by the grace of God. Everything destroyed, everywhere. No infrastructure. Then being “allowed in” to finally see what remains. Those bits of memories – if you’re lucky enough to find some – take on such indescribable new meaning. Any bit of the former life becomes precious… precious in new ways never felt before. A life of memories versus the new, strange existence. This update took me right back to all those feelings, impressions, rugged gut-wrench, and all that was described so accurately. There is the “right now” to deal with and it keeps a person very busy. Your whole life is upside down…. and then there is the “later,” and that goes on and on. It’s important to know what to expect. PTSD was mentioned. Absolutely. There are stages to disaster recovery and to be aware of them is key. There is comfort in the community of those experiencing the same. Helping one another and sharing the emotional upheaval aids in healing. It’s an empowering feeling at a time of utter loss. I hope you can look up the “Phases of Disaster.” I kept it on my phone so I could routinely refer to it. It was a great help to me emotionally through 2.5 years of recovery. These folks have so much disaster aftermath coming in their future that they can’t even imagine yet. But it’s coming and my heart goes out to them as do prayers for all affected.
Thank you for that. It is good to know what people are/will be going through so we can pray more effectively.
From the reports it sounds although FMB is gone for the most part. I still cannot fathom the scale of this disaster and we are only 100 miles north. We were ready for it, anytime one is in the gulf it’s going to be someone’s troubles. God speed to all who are recovering and assisting.
I was diagnosed with PTSD after my mom was killed in the house explosion..I never accepted it..it’s in a part of my brain that is “the other me”..I left my job, lost many friends. My father, at 83 lost everything..he moved to our neighborhood and moved forward, met many friends, our friends took him under their wings, he never talked about the accident. He lived 7 years and buried his only son 13 months before he passed at 90. Over 100 people showed up at his funeral!!
Thanks for the update, Sundance. God be with you and your family.
…add on more thing to that muck… it will dry and the smell fade as Sundance says…. but don’t ever let it get we again, because it comes back to life!
I grew up on the NC coast, they call it the Crystal Coast area now. I could smell low tide 50 miles inland if the wind was in the right direction.
For many years we lived in Atlanta but always preferred the NC coast. My husband and I were both born and raised near the North Carolina coast. We would come back for vacations and could smell the coast when we reached New Bern. It is a smell like no other. HOME. I’ve been here on the crystal coast 35 years now and would live no where else.
Is there a way we can help “you” Sundance?
I run a business and don’t have the time to read every post let alone read through all the comments so I don’t know if anyone else has broached the subject.
There’s a donate button at the top of the page.
There is bound to be a need for skilled workers – carpenters, boatwrights, etc., to be paid by that Button.
Does any organization organize the work and tradesmen needed and who can that skilled help contact?
It may not be time for those skills today, but the need should be massive when the rebuilding comes after the insurance payments are handed out.
Any coordinators, or do they just drive around and see who needs help, and hope to find a place to sleep at night?
Samaritan’s Purse is looking for volunteers.
I live in the free state of Florida. Despite my age I worked to protect my home and helped my neighbors. We were fortunate to not live in the disaster area but tress went down, power went out, lanai screens blew out. Other lesser homes had roof damage and resulting leaks. We all came together no matter who you voted for. This is America. God bless Sundance. The lord blesses us that are able to help our neighbors. It is a wonderful feeling. Florida will recover because we love our paradise.
Thanks for the update.
One day at a time …
Bless you and stay safe!
I feel for all those at at a loss. I’ve seen this in multiple states through out the years.
Yet people choose to live where they do.
If you’re close to or on the ocean you know the risk.
It’s 100 percent guarantee your home will be lost. Sooner or later .. some happens every other year. ….
Sometimes I question the sanity of it all…
Losing a home isn’t an easy thing.
Losing a home every other year… well… That’s a choice ya make to live where ya live . Pros cons…..
Let’s just be honest.
Sorta Hollywood scenario….
Ya want ocean ya get ocean.
🤷🏼♂️…..
Not like it’s a freak nature of God. ….
Ya cant complain about govermwnt when you know Your home will eventually be destroyed….
If you do your relying on government…
Hard truths.
Where to live that is wonderful and no risk?
Spellcheck is your friend.
Seriously folks…. Y’all act like people who live ocean front or close think their houses are not in danger…
100 percent fact they are. Insurance premiums at max.
Yes people pay for them but it’s insurance.
Why be pissed At government when ya know ya can’t depend on it.
Sorry but ocean life has pros and cons.
You made your point the first three times.
Thank you … yes, premiums are at a max and often times never with a claim.
Thank you Sundance for taking time to connect with us Treepers & give updates on your work (and all of SW Florida restoration). Praying constantly for you and your family’s safety & health through this ordeal.
Sundance, it takes real talent to write a story that communicates the reality that everyman (or Florida Man) is facing in these circumstances and not have it focused centrally on only you and your experiences. But only told by your shadow in effect and the trials and experiences that all have to endure after a cataclysm like a hurricane.
Thank you!
Thank you Sundance. Prayers and blessings.
Thinking about the sore hands, scratched arms, bug bitten legs, weary backs, sunburned faces and tired but resilient spirits soldiering through this recovery. Thank you for all that you are doing and for sharing it with us. Prayers for you and all of the recovery volunteers.
Seems there are risks no matter where I ,(we,he,she) live. Himacanes ,floods,tornadoes, fire,etc. I think part of “live your best life” includes , if possible, choosing where to live. We have lived on the best coast of fl. for 25 years. Had to work 15 more years than I had planned to live on Anna Maria Island. Luckily ,we were blessed to never have major damage. Yea, the summers are unbearably humid. Would do it all over in a heartbeat. 3 traffic lights , 7000 people in 3 cities. Pray and help others
Entropy.
The world routinely breaks down and returns to what it was before man came.
This is the prime argument against Darwin. Order does not accidently appear from disorder.
During the Co-Vid lockdown, cougars and bears were seen walking down the streets of western cities.
When we go, the natural world returns.
The eastern half of North America is more forested now, than it was a century ago. Poor farming peasants tried to cultivate land that was simply not suitable for farming. They gave up and moved to the cities. My grandfather tried to farm the awful land in eastern Ontario that he could afford. He was defeated and got a job in a dairy. That was the routine experience of so many. Nature does not yield.
Thoreau wrote that deer were unknown in 19th century Massachusetts. Deer had been routinely hunted for meat, until they were gone. Deer are certainly not unknown in New England now. The natural world always returns.
Entropy.
Got the record:
I LOVE you, Sundance❣️
What a nice story. We love Pine Island!
Thank You Sundance for all that you are doing for your neighbors in Florida
Stay safe
Tea
National treasurers doing the right thing and expecting nothing in return. All leading by example.
A rugged bunch of God’s selfless soldiers in that photo. Hard, dirty and sweaty work being done everyday. Life doesn’t return to normal without men like Sundance and the people of Pine Island. I continue to keep you all in my prayers.
Poignant story indeed. Thanks.
Sundance, you are built with strength of character, as well as strength in body, mind, and spirit. Your words give courage to the faint of heart, and continuous stalwart leadership to the strong. God has indeed blessed you among all men. I thank God I found CTH and your daily words of wisdom.
Its in the DNA. Americans are resilient, with or without government.
God bless you Sundance….
Sundance, once this is distant, please write a book with all these Hurricane Updates Day 1 thru Day X. Your writings are insightful, heartbreaking and hopeful. You present the human spirit perfectly when stressed.
Good people are there and all across our country. You work, we pray, donate and send supplies. Godspeed to all!