Goodbye Hurricane Ian

 

We were so incredibly lucky.  Landfall was about 40 miles south and we did not get the big storm surge like Fort Myers Beach.  But, since it was a 60 mile wide storm the inner eye wall spun over us for 4 hours with 90 to 100 mph winds.  It was wild and crazy.  Plus, we got a flash flood warning later in the evening since we had 14.3 inches of rain in just a few hours.  And, we don’t live in a flood zone.  It’s bizarre to be watching the hurricane coverage and have the weather person pointing right where you live.

I have no regrets about not evacuating, because our house is built for this kind of storm.  We were safe inside and could access the damage without having to struggle to get back.  Again, we were fortunate the only damage was to our pool enclosure with screens out and a bent frame.

Our neighborhood has a lot of trees down, flooded streets and the clubhouse area had structures damaged, like the pickle ball area shown above. Our downtown, which is right on the beach, came through still standing for the most part.  Again, no big storm surge made all the difference.  

Five years in Florida and two major hurricanes.  I still wouldn’t trade this beach lifestyle for anything.

Hurricane Ready or Not

 

It’s the calm before the storm at the moment, but we are completely prepped and ready for what comes Wednesday.  It is concerning that the track at the time I am writing this is heading straight for my pretty beach town, but there is still plenty of time for wobbles.  

Our house did well during Irma, so we feel safe and are not near any storm surge.  But, it will not be a fun night.  I am more worried about our beaches and all the pretty spots we love so much.  During Irma, our pier was damaged because of the way the hurricane sucks out the water in the Gulf and then it rushes back with force.  

We have shutters up, plenty of food and water and a generator for loss of power.  Give the beautiful Gulf coast of Florida all the good thoughts you have in the next two days.

Hurricane Ian Uncertainty

 

There is never anything straightforward about a hurricane’s path, so there is always a lot of uncertainty. There is preparation that is done each season, so you are ready to go and do not need to fight the crowds at the stores.  Things like food, water, batteries, etc. 

A few days before, it’s smart to fill your car with gas, get gas for the generator, get cash  and for your sanity, always get last minute snacks and alcohol if you do need to hunker down :-)

And then there is the decision of whether hurricane shutters are needed.  We now have a motorized hurricane strength roll down shade for the lanai, so that makes it easy to secure all our outdoor furniture.  The window shutters are metal and need to be secured with screws, so it’s a big job that you only want to do if necessary. So we wait a bit, to follow the updated track.  But not too long to beat the outer bands with rain and wind.

Finally to add to the “fun” we are trying to travel to a wedding and may end up following the hurricane as it passes.  I guess there is never a good time and I hate to wish it upon others, like the panhandle, but Hurricane Ian - please go west!