West Central FL update

[mcar]

We are out of the cone at this point as Ian has gone more south and southeast. We've had a lot of rain and in the last several hours, big gusts of wind. We're told it will get worse as it moves diagonally across the state.

For reference, we are 70 miles north of Tampa.

We lost power for a couple hours; it just came back on, for which we are grateful. We are prepared, but it's still worrying.

But, my god, what's happening in SW FL?

We lived through Andrew in S FL in '92. This seems so much worse. This is a huge storm.

Please keep our sisters and brothers in harms' way in your thoughts.

[livetohike]

1. Thanks for checking in. Hope your power stays on

Last edited Wed Sep 28, 2022, 08:09 PM - Edit history (1)

Stay safe .

[mcar]

7. Thx

[Blues Heron]

2. I saw a graphic where all of Charley fit into this monsters eye

this thing is truly huge

[mcar]

8. Cantore said that too

Amazing

[Nevilledog]

15. Here

[aggiesal]

34. I thnik the news reports say that ...

Last edited Thu Sep 29, 2022, 12:54 AM - Edit history (2)

Charley's eye was 5 miles wide, while Ian's eye is 50 miles wide.

[a kennedy]

3. It's going so SLOW too.........that's a huge problem.....

[mcar]

9. That is a huge concern

[MOMFUDSKI]

4. Treasure Island here.

3 blocks from the Gulf west of St. Petersburg. 50 mph winds with gusts to 61. Rain. 5-6 ft storm surge next 5-6 hours. Electricity went off/on a few times but we have electric right now. Gazillions of Electric Power Co. guys staging north of us in town just waiting for the wind to decrease enough for them to start working. 25% of Pinellas County power outage. All good compared to Ft. Myers area. Unfathomable.

[mcar]

11. Good luck, Mom

I fear the images we'll see over the next days.

[Cha]

5. Mahalo for the update, mcar!

I just got a text from my Nephew's fiance in St Pete and they are doing pretty well. She's working at the hospital and he's home with the dogs.

High winds but nothing like the devastating parts of Florida!

Ian is much worse than Hurricane Iniki that we went through on 9/11/92 on Kauai.. it was soon after Andrew!

Stay Safe.. glad you're prepared!

[mcar]

12. Thanks Cha

glad your family is OK.

[Cha]

19. Thank You.. I'm so relieved..

[MontanaMama]

6. Glad to hear from you

and happy you’re safe. This storm is epic for sure. Fort Meyers and Naples are a mess. I’ve been watching Ryan Hall Ya’ll and his team all day on YouTube. They’re wonderfully informative and no commercials. Real meteorologists that state facts and no drama.
You might find them helpful. Stay safe!

[mcar]

13. I'll check them out

Thanks.

[catbyte]

22. He's really great -- he's been livestreaming nonstop today since 9:45 am with 2-10

minute breaks. I don't know how he does it.

[mitch96]

25. I've been watching/listening to him all afternoon..good stuff. I,too went thru Andrew when

I lived in So Fla. It missed Hollyweird but we got some of the "splash" of winds. It hit at 2am and I was looking out of the third floor window of the hospital and it did not look too bad. When my shift was over at 8am I walked home and got a real shock! Trees down, cars damaged by branches and roof shingles all over the place. A few weeks later I took a drive down to
Homestead and was shocked. I kinda sorta knew where I was at but it had totally changed.
I guess Punta Gorda and Ft Myers will experience the same culture shock..

So far where I'm at in Dunedin it has not been bad at all (knock wood) No real rain to speak of and the winds have been gusty but not scary.
Lets see what happens when Ian is around Orlando. Then it will be parallel with my town..
So far we have been very lucky.. It also helps when you are 60 feet above sea level and two miles from the gulf....

[Tickle]

10. are you by Hernando county nt

[mcar]

16. Just north in Citrus.

[Tickle]

17. hi!!!! nt

[malaise]

14. So glad you're OK

[mcar]

18. Thanks malaise

I'm so concerned for our brethren down south - and for flooding all over the state.

We really are saturated. We've got a lot of large trees on our property and I am concerned about them as the rain increases.

[malaise]

20. It was much weaker when it passed SW of us and we had two plus days of rain

This will be a catastrophe in Florida

[Hermit-The-Prog]

21. Good to know you're not reporting while treading water!

[scarletlib]

23. I think it is going to be devastating.

[H2O Man]

24. Stay safe!

Recommended.

[niyad]

26. Glad you are able to check in. Conti uing vibes for all in harm's way.

[brer cat]

27. I'm glad you are ok, mcar

and thanks for checking in.

[paleotn]

28. Glad you're safe. Monster storm.

Like Sandy and Nicole huge. Andrew was intense, but smaller in diameter.

[Rural_Progressive]

29. Know people in Lee County, Bonita Springs

Haven't heard anything from them, does anyone know how that area has done so far?

[mcar]

37. Badly. I hope they evacuated

The flooding and wind damage looks catastropic. I hope your friends are OK.

[Cheezoholic]

40. Unfortunately they took the brunt of the surge along with Naples and Ft. Meyers

But if they were a couple miles inland maybe east of I75 and up over 15 or 20 feet above sea level and in a decently built home I would say they'd be ok. Maybe scared to death! I haven't been to Bonita Springs in 25 years used to have some friends that moved there. I saw some reports earlier on a weatherboard from Estero that it took some very heavy storm surge . Theres no power down there, communications are sketchy at best. I sure hope they're ok and went to an evacuation shelter if they weren't on high ground in a well built home.

[Rural_Progressive]

41. Not sounding good and I haven't been in contact for awhile

Don't remember the address and she changed her last name when they got married so I can't even look it up. I do remember when I was trying to find the house that it was about a half a mile east of Hwy 41 and just a little north of Bonita Bch Rd. We walked to the beach so it couldn't have been more than two, three miles.

Definitely not on high ground if I remember correctly. As to evacuating, she would have wanted to go, him, not so much. House was one story, don't recall if it was brick or brick facade seemed pretty well put together but I'm no property inspector.

Thanks for letting me know, if you hear anything more about the area I'd appreciate it if you could let me know.

[crickets]

30. Glad to hear you're okay!

Fingers crossed your power stays on and the worst is over for your area.

[Mozeltov Cocktail]

31. Good of you to check in...

Tampa bay here, we've ducked another one...🤞 just rain and wind gusts.

Naples and Fort Myers look so bad, it's unbelievable. Heard earlier, this is the fifth largest hurricane to ever hit the States.

[Skittles]

32. keep us posted, mcar

your DU family cares

[mcar]

38. Thanks Skittles

[stollen]

33. I've been worried about friends in Port Richey

If their power is back on, they will be breathing easier.

[ancianita]

35. If it's any consolation, this map shows Ian dropping to a Cat 1 by 2 am.

https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6ca9491/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe1%2Fd7%2F7613acb14edca9edc39ef2a870fc%2Ftrack-storm1.jpg

[Ligyron]

36. Meanwhile, in West Palm Beach...

It's only like a blustery day in April.

On the opposite coast 80 miles away...total nightmare, beaches gone, storm surge going blocks into neighborhoods, it will be days, weeks even before the true extent of the damage is known.

Horrible.

[mcar]

39. Amazing, isn't it?

[Hekate]

42. Thanks for checking in -- and stay safe