Hurricane Ian

[dannyyankou]

It's not looking too good, most forecasts are bringing it right up to the coast and then it's going to stallllllll. This thing will generate tons of storm surge.

If you're in the path, keep posted to the National Hurricane Center for the latest updates, and most importantly, STAY SAFE!

REMNANTS OF SARA

If you're told to evacuate, I would highly suggest listening to your local officials. If you know loved ones that live down there, check in on them.

 

[satcomer]

time to bring your garbage indoors and then get out of town especially if you live on the coast!

 

[TechRunner]

I'm in the Port Charlotte area (about 90 miles south of Tampa) and prepped as well as can be. Tampa will need lots of help once it passes if Ian stays on its current track. The storm surge will do tremendous damage there.

 

[dwig]

My wife & I live in Key West. It's just moderate rain and wind at present. Winds are around 20mph with gusts around 30. It will get windy later in the day, but predictions are that we'll barely get Tropical Storm force winds.

The big issue for the Keys is flooding. I'm "high & dry" by Keys standards at ~16' above mean sea level in the street and 20'+ at the foundation of our building and we're in the middle of the island. I don't expect we'll see any direct flooding issues.

Our main concern is power. The Keys aren't on a classical power grid. We have only a single power feed that runs the 100+ miles down the island chain from the mainland.

 

[Huntn]

It's not looking too good, most forecasts are bringing it right up to the coast and then it's going to stallllllll. This thing will generate tons of storm surge.

If you're in the path, keep posted to the National Hurricane Center for the latest updates, and most importantly, STAY SAFE!

REMNANTS OF SARA

If you're told to evacuate, I would highly suggest listening to your local officials. If you know loved ones that live down there, check in on them.

When they stall it’s amazingly worse from a flooding perspective, besides storm surge, I’m thinking more of the inches of rain dropped. When Harvey came to Texas instead of cutting a swath and blowing town, it decided to stay in the area for 3 freaking days, amazingly during that scenario my neighborhood 70 miles from the water, in the North East of Houston kept our power, but large portions of neighborhoods were flooded all around and close to me from the San Jacinto river and the decision to pick that time to lower Lake Conroe. They were worried about the dam failing Because the lake was so high.

 

[satcomer]

My wife & I live in Key West. It's just moderate rain and wind at present. Winds are around 20mph with gusts around 30. It will get windy later in the day, but predictions are that we'll barely get Tropical Storm force winds.

The big issue for the Keys is flooding. I'm "high & dry" by Keys standards at ~16' above mean sea level in the street and 20'+ at the foundation of our building and we're in the middle of the island. I don't expect we'll see any direct flooding issues.

Our main concern is power. The Keys aren't on a classical power grid. We have only a single power feed that runs the 100+ miles down the island chain from the mainland.

Sounds like you should have gotten at least a solar battery generator where you live just in case!

 

[JW5566]

It looks like a monster on the satellite imagery. Hope every stays safe.

 

[Herdfan]

I'm in the Port Charlotte area (about 90 miles south of Tampa) and prepped as well as can be. Tampa will need lots of help once it passes if Ian stays on its current track. The storm surge will do tremendous damage there.

Especially if it is positioned such that all the storm surge goes into the bay. Then it will have no where to go.

 

[TechRunner]

Especially if it is positioned such that all the storm surge goes into the bay. Then it will have no where to go.

At this time, it's actually predicted to make landfall south of Tampa, which will help them some. Unfortunately, My neighborhood has a good shot of being in the bullseye. That might change overnight. Fingers crossed...

 

[Blue Quark]

I live south of the projected landfall point and I'm one of the very few people who bothered to put storm shutters up.

Best wishes to all my fellow MacRumors members who have been and are going to be impacted by Hurricane Ian.

It's now showing 155 MPH (249.4 kph) winds. This thing may hit Cat 5 status. And my area is now up to 12' - 16' (3.6 - 4.9 m) storm surge projections, too.

So far they are 17,245 reported people without power.

 

[MacNut]

At this time, it's actually predicted to make landfall south of Tampa, which will help them some. Unfortunately, My neighborhood has a good shot of being in the bullseye. That might change overnight. Fingers crossed...

You are most likely going to get a direct hit.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Unfortunately, it appears the storm is heading for direct hit on Orlando, FL. It could cause significant damage to the Florida economy since Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando are huge financial contributors to that state.

 

[Herdfan]

I live south of the projected landfall point and I'm one of the very few people who bothered to put storm shutters up.

Random question. Every time a hurricane is predicted to hit anywhere, you see people at HD buying plywood. If I lived in Hurricane Alley, I would have pieces cut and stored ready for the next storm. What do people do with the plywood they just bought after the storm passes?

 

[max2]

Praying for the best.

Though the videos and pictures I saw looks like total devastation


Just heard about someone's dad being stuck in their house with 5 feet of water.

 

[Huntn]

My Dad lives in Winterhaven, typically one of the better places to be in Florida (elevation 180’) when it comes to storms. Yesterday the wind there was 10-20 MPH, with rain. Don’t know about last night. This morning, phone calls to the area fail, I assume lines are down, power out.

It’s interesting that Southern Florida has never been a good place to live from a storm perspective, yet it is filled to the brim with people who chose to live in such a dangerous area.

 

[Gregg2]

Random question. Every time a hurricane is predicted to hit anywhere, you see people at HD buying plywood. If I lived in Hurricane Alley, I would have pieces cut and stored ready for the next storm. What do people do with the plywood they just bought after the storm passes?

1. These are people who are newer homeowners, going through a hurricane for the first time.
2. These are hurricane veterans who purchased a bigger homes closer to the coast for the view.
3. These are people who never got around to buying more plywood after the last hurricane wiped out their houses.

 

[max2]

Just learned a friend was killed in the storm. They were not along the coast.

Sucks.

 

[Huntn]

Heard from my Dad this morning (Winterhaven, Fl) on his cell phone, he is good, house at first glance is undamaged. Ft Myers, Sanibel Island, Lee County have serious damage. Sanibel with a 8-15’ storm surge I’m surprised any single family homes remains standing.

Sanibel Island, Fort Myers severely damaged by Hurricane Ian in Lee County

Sanibel Island, Fort Myers and Lee County generally were severely damaged by Hurricane Ian.

abcnews.go.com

Just learned a friend was killed in the storm. They were not along the coast.

Sucks.

Sorry to hear this.

 

[dwig]

1. These are people who are newer homeowners, going through a hurricane for the first time.
2. These are hurricane veterans who purchased a bigger homes closer to the coast for the view.
3. These are people who never got around to buying more plywood after the last hurricane wiped out their houses.

#4 They are hurricane veterans whose plywood from the last hurricane took a beating and is now no longer in decent condition.
#5 Not willing to invest in proper protection

Personally, I feel #5 is a big portion of the issue. My condo in Key West has windows rated for 150mph (that's 150mph wind and not 150mph flying coconuts, etc.) and I have proper hurricane shutters, a mix of steel and Lexan panels.

 

[Gregg2]

#5 Not willing to invest in proper protection

From the old Fram commercials, "Pay me now, or pay me later!"

 

[TechRunner]

We took a direct hit in Charlotte county (the western side of the eye passed right over us) and the destruction is mind-boggling. Many businesses won't reopen, and it will take many months before this area recovers. Just got power back last night. Still, home had minor damage, and we're safe. If you're able to help with recovery efforts at all, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Huntn]

Flew into Tampa today and drove to Winterhaven. Zero storm damage evident at the airport. Driving into Winterhaven, many piles of broken limbs and other vegetative debris piled near roads for collection, and one large oak blown over, but otherwise the area appears in good shape, although I can’t adress flood damage in the area, just my impression Based on what I saw.

We took a direct hit in Charlotte county (the western side of the eye passed right over us) and the destruction is mind-boggling. Many businesses won't reopen, and it will take many months before this area recovers. Just got power back last night. Still, home had minor damage, and we're safe. If you're able to help with recovery efforts at all, it would be greatly appreciated!

Glad you did not suffer the horrendous loss prevalent along the Southern West Coast. It’s hard to see the way back when an area is wiped out in a severe weather event, all the damage, all the jobs lost that won’t come back tomorrow, all the people who have zero means to support themselves in this immediate area, in the immediate future. Sure I hear this sentiment from State Leadership, We will rebuild! My question after seeing your house and most your possession washed away, how many could bring themselves to come back and rebuild knowing the same hing could happen again in the next hurricane season? 🤔

How many 100s of $$billions for this storm? I heard a report that this time there will be calls to rebuild, but after the next one, we might hear calls to retreat. Southern Florida in recorded history has always been a dangerous place to live, and… it used to be sparely populated.

 

[bousozoku]

We took a direct hit in Charlotte county (the western side of the eye passed right over us) and the destruction is mind-boggling. Many businesses won't reopen, and it will take many months before this area recovers. Just got power back last night. Still, home had minor damage, and we're safe. If you're able to help with recovery efforts at all, it would be greatly appreciated!

I was thinking of Hurricane Charley in 2004, hitting Charlotte County hard and it kept going. It was category 5 until landfall, when it became category 3. I lived in Oviedo, outside Orlando, and it even did some damage, although not as much as the lack of power did. I had a little fun photographing during 3 hurricanes that year.

 

[TechRunner]

I was thinking of Hurricane Charley in 2004, hitting Charlotte County hard and it kept going. It was category 5 until landfall, when it became category 3. I lived in Oviedo, outside Orlando, and it even did some damage, although not as much as the lack of power did. I had a little fun photographing during 3 hurricanes that year.

Here's an interesting graphic my wife found. Ian was a monster compared to Charley, according to this meteorologist:

 

[TechRunner]

Glad you did not suffer the horrendous loss prevalent along the Southern West Coast. It’s hard to see the way back when an area is wiped out in a severe weather event, all the damage, all the jobs lost that won’t come back tomorrow, all the people who have zero means to support themselves in this immediate area, in the immediate future. Sure I hear this sentiment from State Leadership, We will rebuild! My question after seeing your house and most your possession washed away, how many could bring themselves to come back and rebuild knowing the same hing could happen again in the next hurricane season? 🤔

How many 100s of $$billions for this storm? I heard a report that this time there will be calls to rebuild, but after the next one, we might hear calls to retreat. Southern Florida in recorded history has always been a dangerous place to live, and… it used to be sparely populated.

My wife and I and my daughter and son-in-law had a similar conversation last night. Of the four of us, I'm the only one who doesn't see the fascination with Florida. With respect to those who live here and love it, I see the reasons why you might, but I'm the only one of the four of us who had to be dragged here. I find it overcrowded, overpriced, and overrated. A great vacation spot? Sure! But that's the extent for me.

The hurricane itself didn't bother me much. I've lived in blizzard and tornado bullseye zones, and knew how to prepare for the event itself. But the amount of destruction this storm caused, and the life-altering aftermath for so many has me wondering why people who lost everything would stay and rebuild, putting themselves in potentially the same situation.