Those of us in the Tampa Bay area were lucky. Floridians in the eye of the storm experienced devastating floods and winds. At least 109 people are dead, and 55 of those deaths are in Lee County, Florida, alone. A friend of mine has family in Punta Gorda in Charlotte County. They were unable to reach their family by phone for days as the power grid went down. As of Tuesday night, 400,573 people in Florida were still without power. So, while the storm did not head in the originally reported direction, significant damage occurred.
Mark Friedlander, spokesman for the Insurance Information Institute (III), said those in the Sunshine state pay three times the national average at $4,231. In July, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation deemed 27 different insurance companies as not financially stable. There is now a risk more insurance companies will fail.
Florida’s insurance agencies are in a panic. Six insurers have already claimed insolvency this year despite the last few hurricane seasons being pretty tame. Property insurance has skyrocketed by up to 50% in the past year alone for some homeowners and will likely continue to rise. Insurance, regardless of what insurance we are discussing, be it dental or health, only covers certain areas.
“There’s a lot of folks that have a homeowner’s policy. And sometimes they’re told that that could also be for flood and those are just different policies. The homeowners’ is from the wind, direct storm damage; the flood insurance obviously from rising waters,” Governor DeSantis explained. Only 13% of Floridians have flood insurance, and those not covered will be forced to rely on FEMA grants, which take a long time to process.
To help displaced Floridians, Biden is sending more money to Ukraine. With the leftovers, Washington will pay for rescue efforts, debris clearing, and rebuilding of public infrastructures. People can file claims with insurance companies, but they are certain to deny as much as possible, especially since many do not have the funding to process all claims. The attorneys point the finger at the insurance companies while the insurance companies blame litigation and greed. Lisa Miller, the State of Florida’s former Deputy Insurance Commissioner, explained that 80% of the nation’s litigation is in Florida. DeSantis also vowed to “get rid of the scams and litigation.”
There is a price to pay for living in paradise. The total cost of the storm is still being assessed, and it will take a significant amount of time to fix the areas that were hit hard. The insurance companies in Florida were already facing hardship prior to the hurricane and this incident could be the catalyst for numerous failures.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 6, 2022 | Sundance
It was a week ago Wednesday, around 1:00pm, when Hurricane Ian first approached the coast of southwest Florida. In the aftermath, once again the coastal topography has changed.
Incredibly, rescue workers are still going through rubble on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, Captiva Island, Pine Island and Matlacha while recovery operations continue in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Arcadia, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. Approximately 50% of Lee and Desoto counties are still without power and water.
The closer to the SWFL coast, the more devastating the infrastructure is damaged. However, the inland areas were also heavily impacted by wind damage and historic flooding. Hurricane Ian left a wide swath of chaos in his slow and sizeable wake.
On a positive note, there are fewer helicopter flights crisscrossing overhead, which would indicate most of the barrier islands have been searched and residents rescued in one of the largest air mobilizations in Florida hurricane history. The flights seem more focused on delivering personnel, equipment and supplies for recovery efforts.
The rednecks and roughnecks also delivered a remarkable accomplishment today, opening a temporary bridge to Pine Island. 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.
Incredibly a week after Hurricane Ian took out the bridge connecting Pine Island to Cape Coral, the temporary bridge was finished and five semi tractors/trailers from Publix Supermarket were first to cross into Pine Island with relief supplies. {Direct Rumble Link} WATCH:
Matlacha, the small area between Cape Coral and Pine Island that encompassed the bridge, has been devastated. However, the ability to drive into (and out of) Pine Island is a major cause for celebration amid the blue-collar working-class community.
Pine Islanders are known for their grit and independence. The devastation on the island is large from Saint James City (south) all the way to Bokeelia (north), but these are hardworking and industrious people. They will rebuild and restore their community street by street, and the bridge will speed up that process. An exceptional outcome in only a week. Many joyful tears flowing.
Above picture, Today – Below picture, last Thursday
The result is stunning, but, well, then again…. that git r’ done sensibility is locally known to live on Pine Island. Honc Marine is also a local company that knows how to git sh*t done. Put those two elements together, get the hell out of the way… and well, that’s the result. There ain’t no gender confusion, wokeness or cufflinks in this tribe.
….Additionally, Governor DeSantis announced yesterday that the contract to begin repairs to the Sanibel Causeway was awarded. Equipment was mobilized last night, and there is already a team on the ground to begin repairs. The repairs to the Sanibel Causeway are expected to be completed by the end of the month. (link)
Jumpin’ ju-ju bones. If they can get roadway access to Sanibel completed within a month… that’s beyond awesome.
There are currently 298,820 reported power outages. They have already restored power nearly 2.4 million accounts across the state, representing 88.92% of accounts restored since the peak. There are currently 11 fueling depot stations open statewide, and a mobile fuel truck has been deployed to Arcadia to support residents without access to fuel.
Additional programs that have been put into place to aid communities include the activation of the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, the initiation of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Operation Blue Roof, and FDOT’s diligent work to construct temporary bridges into areas that are cut off from motorists.
First Lady Casey DeSantis announced that the Florida Disaster Fund has raised nearly $35 million since activation. To read more info, click here. To contribute, please visit www.FloridaDisasterFund.org or text DISASTER to 20222. Additionally, the First Lady has worked with the State Disaster Recovery Mental Health Coordinator Sara Newhouse to compile a webpage of resources to help first responders navigate resources for mental health needs post hurricane. To visit the site, click here
Mental health resources for individuals and communities are available at MyFLFamilies.com/HurricaneIan. Floridians’ health and well-being are a top priority, and the Department of Children and Families is reminding individuals that they are not alone. All Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian can find someone to talk to today through the Disaster Distress Helpline by calling 800-985-5990.
There are more than 1,000 team members performing search and rescue.
DCF has created a First Responder Support Line: 407-823-1657 – that all first responders throughout the impacted areas can contact. This line combines current resources into a single point of contact that will connect first responders with mental health professionals.
Florida National Guard engineering resources were deployed to assist with route clearance in Pinellas and Lee Counties.
The Missouri Task Force 1 Disaster Situational Assessment and Reconnaissance (DSAR) Team is deploying to Florida through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to support urban search and rescue efforts and incident assessment.
A Florida Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Team deployed to Central Florida to support state USAR Task Forces and incident assessment.
Following Governor DeSantis’ authorization, Joint Task Force Florida has 5,050 personnel activated and is executing missions in response to Hurricane Ian. The Florida National Guard has supported a total of 247 missions.
27 POD sites operating and distributing food, water, and ice to local populations:
2,728 pallets of water distributed
2,331 pallets of food distributed
606 pallets of ice distributed
385 pallets of tarps distributed
FDEM is working with feeding partners to open kitchens for impacted and displaced residents. More than 410,800 were served on Tuesday, October 4, and more than 936,100 hot meals have been served since volunteer kitchens opened.
FDEM is coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to conduct infrastructure assessments of water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, and assisted living facilities.
Through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), more than 1,800 personnel from 26 states have deployed to Florida to assist in response and recovery efforts.
FDEM has activated the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) to provide an additional resource for Floridians to receive up-to-date information regarding Hurricane Ian. Residents and visitors can call this toll-free hotline at 1-800-342-3557.
FDEM Recovery staff are conducting rapid damage assessments in Charlotte, Flagler, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Putnam and Osceola counties to expedite available federal assistance for disaster recovery.
FDEM has eight active fuel depots throughout Central and Southwest Florida to ensure first responders have the fuel they need to conduct search and rescue operations. An additional two public, mobile fuel depots are open in Arcadia and the Dunbar community to provide fuel for vehicles and gas cans for generators to impacted residents.
FDEM is leading the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) for the Hurricane Ian response, with more than 350 SERT members staffing the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).
FDEM has received more than 4,500 resource requests for Hurricane Ian and fulfilled. Over 3,700 of these requests are currently being processed and are either en route or being mobilized. This includes the coordination of resources such as: trucks of food and water, generators and tarps.
FDEM is mobilizing pet food and supplies for displaced pets, including: rabies vaccines, dry and canned dog food, dry and canned cat food, cat litter, disposable pet bowls and disposable leashes.
FDEM is deploying the following resources for distribution to impacted areas:
Coordinating to set up 4 barges to aid in the delivery of commodities in Lee County to Pine Island and Sanibel Island.
Trailers for restrooms, showers, laundry, sleeping and sanitation to ensure the care of first responders in the field.
More than 4,000 gallons of diesel to Lee County to power water plants that provide water to nearby hospitals.
Drone teams to assess flooded areas.
500 traffic barrels to Charlotte County to safely modify traffic patterns.
More than 400 bottles of oxygen to Charlotte County.
255 ambulances
200 trucks of food, water and ice
More than 500 generators for traffic signals and other traffic needs
2 full service mechanical shops
500,000 tarps
375 kits for parents of infants and toddlers with critical supplies that will last for 10 days each
Four mobile triage units to Miami-Dade County
Five truckloads of blankets and five truckloads of cots to support displaced residents
Coordinating the provision of meals for first responders staged in Orange County
FDEM is in constant communication with all 67 county emergency management offices and state agencies to coordinate recovery actions and needed resources as communities experience storm impacts.
Power
There are currently 298,820 people without power.
Nearly 2.4 million accounts have already been restored across Florida.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 4, 2022 | Sundance
Ms. Veronica, an incredibly wise and multigenerational counsellor of souls.
Ms. Veronica is a lady of impeccable generosity, identified not simply by the hospitality and greeting, but also by the few moments of grace deserved and afforded in polite request to make herself more ‘presentable‘ for unexpected company.
Upon return, Ms Veronica immediately became Vera, a woman, widow, great grandma and neighbor who may not have enough, but she’d give a stranger half – and they would never know.
This is a powerful woman filled with a message. “Hurricane Ian did not create victims,” she immediately captured my full and undivided attention. She continued, “I am not a victim.”
“There are dead people, and there are survivors.”
Long pause. The depth of her eyes, intense.
I am wise enough to notice moments when my prior opinion of self, strength and fortitude are immediately being redefined. I am also smart enough to stay silent.
“Our loving God does not create victims, and apparently he is not finished using me.” Veronica’s eyes now alight. “In this moment I am filled with rejoicing,” she said, “because I know there is a purpose I have yet to fulfill.” From me, more smart silence. “How incredible is it for me at 90 to realize there’s more use, more purpose, and more time,” she concluded.
Then, just as casual as one might order a familiar coffee on any ordinary Tuesday, Vera asked…. “How is it I can help you boys?“…
There are rare moments in life when we say the right thing. For me today was one of those moments. My reply was simply, “I think you just did.”
You know something, she’s right.
All the Mr. and Mrs. Veronica’s are not victims; none of us are. God doesn’t create victims – people do.
How stark is the reality of hearing, “there are dead people, and there are survivors.”
If you are not in the former, none of us are, then we should rejoice and realize we have purpose yet unfulfilled.
♦ Scott from Fort Myers beach lost every worldly possession including his home. Scott is not a victim. How do I know this? Because I’ve seen Scott over several recovery efforts, and today I worked side-by-side with Scott for almost two hours before someone passing a water bottle told me he lost everything.
Eventually after the task at hand was accomplished, ear plugs removed, I asked Scott what he needed. His reply was simple, he didn’t know enough yet to be able to answer that question. Oddly, I think I understand. Scott needs to accomplish the two feet in front of him. Purpose within this moment, because his new normal is miles ahead. Yes, today I was the incredibly shrinking man.
Now the fun part of this…. Remember Veronica? When she said, “how is it I can help you boys,” Scott was the plural, he was standing right beside me.
When we jumped in the back of the truck, he leaned over and said to me, there’s the answer to your question.
The message was big. Ms. Veronica was the vessel, and it was Scott -not me- who was the intended target.
♦ Cynthia (aka Cindy) and John are successful small business owners. They are as attached and committed to the Cape Coral, Florida, community as any young couple could be. After originally planning to ride out the storm, they changed their mind. Late last Tuesday they loaded their car with all their most important possessions and evacuated a few miles inland to stay with friends.
Cindy and John survived Hurricane Ian and returned late yesterday to survey their property and evaluate if they could start to rebuild. A massive power pole and tree blocked their driveway, but from the street it looked like the house was structurally okay. Nervously John and Cindy navigated the debris and went inside to check.
In the fifteen minutes they were inside their home, someone stole all their possessions from the car they parked on the street.
Cindy and John are victims, that’s the difference.
Oh, and the guy who handed me the water bottle and told me about Scott’s loss…. That was John.
Today I learned again that bearing witness makes you small in comparison.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 4, 2022 | Sundance
Fortunate is a word often accompanied with thankfulness; the complicated conversations always begin with both. We are blessed, fortunate and thankful. Personally, I have tried to avoid the complicated conversations, choosing instead to throw the starfish back into the water one at a time.
According to most, hurricane recovery and restoration is complicated business. They are likely correct; however, I do not see a broom, mop, screw gun or sandwich delivered as complicated business, so y’all are not going to read analytics of the complex from me. Instead, the focus is on seeing a person with a problem and tackling it in a way to make their situation just a little bit better.
I’ve watched ants move rocks because rocks needed to be moved. The task did not seem complex, the only variable seemed to be the number of ants needed. I doubt they used extras. The ants somehow knew exactly how many of them were needed for the task and modified their assembly based on the terrain. If you watch closely, the ants keep arriving until exactly the rock moving number of ants are on task – and they move the rock.
Perhaps it is a complicated process for ants to move rocks. Is there a boardroom of ants, with ant planning and zoning? Or does one ant just start pushing on the obstacle and the other ants join in. I think the latter is more likely.
Need gasoline, we can get it. Need the road cleared, we got that too. We can make a sandwich, deliver fuel, saw, sweep, mop, scrub, clean and/or make just that little space closer to the normal of memory. It is entirely possible to replace a missing downspout, and it is entirely possible to provide an uncomplicated ear to listen. Both tasks are equally important during recovery because both outcomes reduce burdens.
Day 5 finds more ants arriving in the western impact zone of Hurricane Ian. Here’s the rock:
.
Right now, there are tens of thousands of unemployed service workers looking for wages.
We need an uncomplicated way to put hands-on tasks and move the rocks.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 3, 2022 | Sundance
Shortly before sunset this evening, as the search and rescue missions continue throughout the western impact zone, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Cape Coral to provide the latest updates and new information for the people in Southwest Florida (SWFL). Toplines:
♦ Cape Coral, Pine Island and Sanibel only have 3% power restoration. Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) is overwhelmed and refusing to pay the mutual aid costs for assistance. LCEC is making people suffer. The Florida Governor has seen enough. The state is stepping in.
♦ Effective tomorrow, up to 3,500 personnel from Duke Energy are being redeployed into Cape Coral and Lee County, the State of Florida will pick up the bill for the mutual aid payments LCEC is unwilling to support. As a result, the power restoration timeline for Cape Coral is now moved from October 23rd to October 8th.
♦ Effective tomorrow, 50 generators from the Florida Dept of Emergency Management are being moved into Cape Coral to service water and sewer issues created by LCEC unwillingness to restore power. Lift stations will be powered by state generators until Duke Energy personnel take control and do the work LCEC is unwilling to do.
♦ Effective tomorrow, The Florida Dept of Transportation and the Florida Army Corp of Engineers will begin rebuilding an interim bridge for Pine Island Road access. A temporary bridge is expected to be completed by the end of the week, allowing Pine Island residents to cross into the mainland. Lee County can then figure out a permanent solution.
♦ Effective immediately, the Florida Dept of Transportation will begin a parallel operation with Lee County Transportation to outline a temporary bridge and transit system to reconnect access to Sanibel Island from Punta Rassa (South Fort Myers). Governor Ron DeSantis said there’s no reason to wait a year for a permanent fix to begin. The state will pick up the tab for a temporary bridge system, as Lee County begins the process of figuring out what to do.
♦ The Florida National Guard will begin airlifting utility crews into Sanibel and Captiva Islands to begin restoration assessments.
All good decisions by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Ancillary NOTE: Remember what I said yesterday… “On a practical note, I see the millionaire/billionaire boating class are being told they must remove their status yachts from a couple of major locations.”…. 24 hours after that notification to the white wine spritzer crowd, the Florida State DOT now says they will build a fast temporary bridge and local municipal port operations (barges) will not be needed. These issues and rapid responses are related.
The White Wine Spritzer Crowd are the major DeSantis donor crowd. Tell the SWFL millionaires/billionaires they need to move their yachts and suddenly a temporary bridge is being built by the State of Florida. Hey, don’t get me wrong, I ain’t bitchin’, but I also ain’t stupid. Everything is always related to the economics of the thing.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 3, 2022 | Sundance
I am going to start the Day 4 update with the golden words from dear Sharon, who eloquently writes:
“…..the holding pattern for tens of thousands…..”
“That’s just one thread in the word pictures presented by Sundance–a thread that is sort of a knothole in the fence…. and looking through it, there are details to be seen….confusion, uncertainty, counting the cash in one’s pocket (again), checking (again) for any possible cell phone coverage, glancing over to the neighbor who hasn’t taken a break for several hours (perhaps for fear that if they sit down, they won’t be able to get back up again)…. men at work with chainsaws…. women returning to what remains of the house to dig through the kitchen or the bathroom cupboards in search of some more, still usable everyday things….
And, … this is an open-ended transition. Length uncertain. Ultimate destination uncertain. How to get there–mostly undetermined at this point.
In terms of individual lives, places to live, jobs/careers…. most of them probably don’t know for sure, yet, whether they are on an onramp or an offramp.
Sometimes I wonder if reaction to such events from a distance clouds the reality that those who are living it have no capacity to step away from it, not even for a moment. The lines on the field have been obliterated and none who are living this can be completely sure of how far away the goal line is.”
Perfectly and succinctly stated.
Day 4, is exactly like all day fours I have experienced before this one. The autonomic response starts to give way to adrenalin exhaustion and human batteries need to be recharged. Day four is also when internal callouses become valuable.
For some a quick “stay focused on ‘the task at hand‘” can suffice. For others it’s, ‘go home to your family – take a break – see you the day after tomorrow‘.
When you build internal callouses you train yourself not to look at the miles, you look at the two to four feet in front of you. Look up and you will allow the whisper of despondency to creep in. Stay focused on the 2-to-4-foot task at hand and your brain remains wired in a manageable condition.
Steady, we fill that 20 or 40-yard container, then go eat. Reengage, clear the path, fill another 20-yard and then move… Always forward. If you start calculating the time it will take to clear and fill 4,768 40-yard containers the gremlins will whisper in your ear all day and wear you down.
Ignore the gremlins.
Instead, listen to the faces – hear their stories, then keep going to the next set of faces…. Always forward.
I should also mention that sunscreen is an essential hurricane supply. If you see the 30 or 50 block version, the thick stuff on sale, throw one in your battery box. If needed, slobber it all over yourself during morning coffee time and again early afternoon after chainsaw sharpening.
It has been a long time since I have seen so many east/west helicopter flights all day. The southwest Florida skies look like the air highways around Fort Campbell, Kentucky. I can only imagine what RSW airport looks like. Probably quite an ocean of helicopter aviation. The gremlin wants me to imagine lots of things related to seeing so many search and rescue missions ongoing this far after the event. I’m ignoring the whisper. Death toll at 76.
Warning in advance – What follows below comes from my cracker disposition:
SWFL has a tremendous amount of unemployed ‘service workers‘ right now. SWFL also needs a massive and organized laundry operation. Hint to SWFL management, please put those two elements together. Thank you in advance.
“Mandatory” evacuations continue on the barrier islands. There is a considerable resistance effort underway from the ‘crackers.’ Hint to SWFL management, if the resisting resident has a boat registered in the county (easy to check), then retreat from the severity of your effort. Again, thank you in advance.
On a practical note, I see the millionaire/billionaire boating class are being told they must remove their status yachts from a couple of major locations.
Having grown up in the region and remembering where the barges operated before the roads and bridges were built, I suspect we are going back to pre-1960’s municipal port operations as an interim action to supply the islands. This type of infrastructure repurposing makes sense, but a whole generation of the white wine spritzer tribe is big mad right now [insert cracker squinting smile here].
I mentioned on Day 2 the historic Sanibel lighthouse is still standing.
Since 1884, every twelve seconds the lighthouse beacon blinked twice, creating a sequence of four navigational alerts per minute. Ask me how I know that, and I will show you the clock of my childhood.
I learned how to read a sextant on the front porch of the Lightkeepers house. I traded Mr. Brennan 4 fresh trout from Dixie Beach flats for the lessons, there were two (one day and one night), on using a sextant. From that moment at the age of around ten, I was known as “Trout” when I came back. It wasn’t funny.
Long before there was a ‘city glow’ on the eastern shore, the Sanibel beacon remained my waypoint in life. Twelve seconds, blink twice, four per minute. I spent tens of thousands of minutes with the comforting beacon at my six. I was always safe when I could see it and I never strayed beyond its reach.
My first bull shark took me for an almost 1,000 blink-long tour of the back bay inlet during a particularly memorable night.
I also ‘caught‘ my first Silver King within reach of the beacon at sunrise. Recording the moment by removing (then laminating) the trophy scale which to this day sits in an old cigar box filled with buttons, wire, ribbons, weird metal bits and mysterious childhood treasures.
That particular morning was exceptionally memorable because I proclaimed myself a ‘king fisher.’ Unfortunately, it was a short-lived moment of ego quickly deflated by an unusually furious mom – because I was going to be late for middle school. “King Fisher” shouts I, dashing out the door, while hearing “fisher fool” chasing my ear from behind.
The Calusa Indians were smart enough never to live on this particular narrow finger of barrier islands. Instead, they buried their dead out there.
As I get older, I realize that many generations made the Calusa wise.
Love to all,
Sundance
(left) Before Hurricane Ian – (right) After Hurricane Ian
Posted originally in the conservative tree house on October 2, 2022 | Sundance
First things first. We are blessed by a loving God who continues to provide the greatest nourishment we need, food for the soul. You’ll find it all around, including in the gift of a temperature irrelevant shower, the first in five days, and a belly full of beef stew, Dinty Moore of course. Finest gourmet dining in years. Perfect.
Airborne search and rescue efforts continue with particular emphasis on the barrier islands and back bay region. If you haven’t watched the video of U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin aircrew from Airstation Miami, you should [See Here]. It’s a great example of the hundreds of rescue flights taking place all day, and the kid who used the mirror to signal the flight crew and protect his grandma is, well, sharp.
Again, if you evacuated the coastal region of Southwest Florida (SWFL), stay put where you are. There is no power and no water system; literally nothing to sustain you that you do not bring yourself. If you do enter this region to check on your property, do so with the intent to leave again because there’s no current timeline for any restoration. A strict sundown curfew remains in effect throughout.
Rescue ferry service from Sanibel Island continues for those who can make it to the Western side of the destroyed causeway. The entire island is being evacuated leaving only the national guard in place to provide security. No reasonable estimate for any recovery. Officials need everyone off the island. Earliest estimates for repair of the major damaged infrastructure are being made in terms of years.
Air and boat rescue from Matlacha and Pine Island continues. Like Sanibel Island the bridges are gone. State and county law enforcement resources are too stressed to operate in a location now inaccessible by road. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered. See Graphic for how to leave Pine Island today (Sunday):
Residents are asked to make their way to the location above and national guard trucks will take you to Coast Guard boats. Evacuees will leave their vehicles at the pick-up point. This is a mandatory island evacuation until interim recovery efforts can take place to make returning the island possible. My heart goes out to the people forced to leave their homes, some, likely many, with no place to go after the shelter stay.
It’s a mess. Pine Island is mostly salty good people with working callouses and a mix of retirees who just wanted to live quietly in an old Florida location. Now this assembly of people need to figure out where to live with no available housing for 50+ miles. According to local media every hotel and motel within 50 miles of the western impact zone are full of evacuees. Long term, I don’t think anyone knows what this is going to look like.
I’m not going to repeat the prior post, but Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is rightly calling out the Lee County Electrical Cooperative (LCEC) for not seeking more help to deal with the catastrophic situation surrounding full infrastructure collapse of the power grid. There is almost no energy recovery effort taking place in the western impact zone and thousands of homes have fallen powerlines atop them, around them, or blocking the roads in front of them.
More people are starting to notice the absence of LCEC recovery efforts. It’s good that Governor DeSantis called them to task personally and publicly.
Recovery operations continue with a street-by-street debris removal process. Once most debris are dealt with, the residents who remain can start to organize life in semi-livable structures albeit without electricity or potable running water.
Thankfully many people evacuated the coastal region including Cape Coral. The remaining population needing resources is less than normal. Those who remain are traveling up to 30+ miles for gasoline for generators. Utility restoration is being discussed in terms of multiple weeks. Most businesses are closed. Reality is starting to settle in, and tough decisions are being made.
If you lift your head up from the chainsaw buzz and listen, just about every conversation is about the void of longer-term information that would help people make decisions about their next move. It’s like tens of thousands of people in a holding pattern trying to figure out what comes next. The current status is short-term sustainable for most, day-by-day, after all inherently people are resilient. However, two weeks out or six weeks out, no one can see that far.
Naples is in full restoration mode. Bonita Springs and Fort Myers are not far behind. The inland areas are doing similar yeoman’s work getting some semblance of life back to a sustainable place, including their ability to earn a living. But travel west into Cape Coral, a town of approximately 230,000 residents, and it’s an entirely different situation.
The barrier islands are being forcibly evacuated. The western or coastal areas of southwest Florida are hammered in every imaginable way. Everything, including the ability to restore, rebuild, operate a business or work in the region, is contingent upon the return of utilities like power and water. Right now, those are questions without answers. Hence, the holding pattern for tens of thousands.
Amid all of the uncertainty the resiliency of the ordinary person or family is on full display. Neighbors helping neighbors, generators being shared in four-to-six-hour increments to allow multiple homes to maintain a fridge, that sort of thing. Fellowship and connections deepening. Good stuff.
Gus is a 55-year-old air conditioning repair man. But Gus cannot work without power, and Gus’s bosses will not put the 50+ employee workforce on the road. Jesse is a 25-year-old barber, with no electricity at his shop, ergo no income. Mac is a single 25-year-old auto mechanic living in a town without power to operate a business where he could work, and there’s no electricity or water at his house. Juan is 35 with a lawncare service, a wife, kids and a trailer with a broken roof.
Gus’s kids and their spouses and kids are now under Gus’s roof sharing resources. Jesse’s mom, sister and cousin have assembled at his home to do the same. Mac couldn’t see a future, so he left for Georgia. Juan is busy making money with his chainsaw and new fuel delivery service in lieu of lawncare customers, which is good because Juan is now covering the missing paycheck for his sister-in-law and her husband who just lost their work. This is the reality for people putting one foot in front of the other.
For a few moments today the elephant looked bigger, but immediately I noticed more people are biting it now.
I hope that civic and community leaders, elected or installed, will pause – look around- and cherish what they are seeing in We The People.
Those officials need to commit to be better stewards and work to deserve their role in whatever capacity they hold. The working middle-class are the backbone of every community – and this nation is full of grit and determination.
The Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) provides power utility coverage to approximately 200,000 homes in Sanibel, Cape Coral and Pine Island: three of the hardest hit western zone regions in the Hurricane Ian disaster. Hundreds of people have asked me in my extensive travels why there are zero power trucks visible in Cape Coral working on the power grid, downed power lines and broken infrastructure. Now, it looks like we have the answer.
What LCEC is intentionally doing is jaw-dropping. In all my years of hurricane recovery, there has never –NEVER– been a more crystal-clear example of a decision to put profits over people. LCEC is literally taking advantage of tens of thousands of vulnerable residents. Tonight, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is calling them out [LINK]. I will explain what is happening, but first check out the DeSantis message:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, after receiving a briefing at the State Emergency Operations Center on current efforts to restore power in Southwest Florida, Governor DeSantis called on the Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) to accept additional mutual aid to expedite power restoration to the residents of Cape Coral, North Fort Myers, Sanibel and Pine Island.
At this time, Florida Power and Light (FPL) has restored power to more than 45% of their accounts in Lee County, while LCEC has only restored power to 9% of their accounts (18,000 out of 183,000 customers). To assist in restoration efforts, the Florida Electrical Cooperatives Association has readied resources from its members around the state that are available to deploy on mutual aid.
Mutual aid would allow the LCEC to expedite power restoration, especially to Cape Coral and North Fort Myers as residents return to their homes and begin the road to recovery. Power restoration in these areas is also essential to resume the full use of essential services such as health care facilities, operation of schools and ensure access to running water. (link)
Please share this part far and wide. You know me to call the baby ugly when warranted; this is one such time. People in the impact zone need to know what is happening.
The Lee County Electric Cooperative (LCEC) purchases energy from Florida Power and Light (FP&L). LCEC then passes along the energy cost to the Sanibel, Cape Coral and Pine Island residents in the form of traditional electricity billing.
Most of the energy provided by FP&L to southwest Florida comes from natural gas used to generate electricity. Natural gas prices have skyrocketed. Because natural gas has spiked in price so quickly; and because there is a natural lag in billing customers before payment is due; LCEC was temporarily billing people less than the current cost of the energy they were purchasing from FP&L.
The price billed to LCEC customers was short-term lower than the price LCEC was paying for the energy. This resulted in a tens of million-dollar losses for LCEC. [NOTE: this is what is happening in Europe and why the EU central bank is subsidizing free short-term bridge loans to smaller electricity providers]
Rather than add another surcharge to the LCEC customers to make up the difference, LCEC is now using Hurricane Ian as an opportunity to true-up their costs and balance the deficit.
As long as zero electricity is being purchased from FP&L; and as long as customers pay their electricity bills by October 9th (due date), LCEC will have a substantive period of time where their receipts (from customers) exceed their purchases (from FP&L). With inbound income and no outbound expenses, the previous financial deficit is removed.
How does LCEC stop purchasing energy?…. Simple, they just don’t rebuild the power grind, thereby delaying the need for payments to FP&L.
This is why there is almost ZERO effort to restore power in Cape Coral, Pine Island and North Fort Myers and mutual aid providers asking why?
LCEC leadership will likely try to hide behind plausible deniability due to the severity of the damage combined with their “non-profit” status. But make no mistake, we are five days post event and LCEC is not even removing downed power poles and power lines. The mutual aid utility companies are standing there wondering why LCEC is not asking for help. The slow pace is akin to doing almost nothing.
This is a top-level decision by LCEC leadership to put operational profit over the urgent power restoration need of their customers. I guarantee you Florida Governor Ron DeSantis knows exactly what LCEC is doing, and why LCEC is doing it. Unfortunately, DeSantis is being politically diplomatic in sending a shot across their bow rather than directly explain to people what the true motive is behind LCEC’s decision.
Those of you I have met in recent recovery efforts, there’s the answer to your question. LCEC is not making any effort to restore power because LCEC doesn’t want to restore power; at least not yet. A few opportunistic weeks without having to purchase energy covers the prior financial deficit. Yes, Hurricane Ian has provided them an opportunity to recover previous financial losses.
Angry? You bet I’m angry. Now imagine if 200,000 people found out what is really going on.
This is the single most egregious example of putting profits over people in all my years of Hurricane recovery and relief. LCEC is literally blocking recovery efforts because there is a financial reason not to recover. Meanwhile, thousands of people are suffering, businesses are closed and losing money. Worse still food, fuel, healthcare services and water recovery (so much more) are being blocked by this LCEC decision.
Ron DeSantis was far too kind in his approach…. screw the donations and politics of Big Energy. Put Attorney General Ashley Moody on it now or use the power of the Florida Governor’s Office to take control over the utility provider.
Do not give Charlie Crist this opening. Go full wolverine, now.
That said, let’s watch and see how LCEC responds to the forceful nudge.
Posted originally on the conservative tree house on September 30, 2022 | Sundance
Hopefully this hotspot holds up. First things first, we are surrounded by the grace of a loving God, and we are thankful.
To begin updating day #2 on the ground in Southwest Florida (SWFL) allow me to please remind everyone to take these storms seriously and take all the advanced preparations needed to protect yourself and your family. You can never overprepare. Additionally, if you did evacuate from the area, stay where you are. There’s no need to come back into the recovery zone and there are virtually no utilities (electricity, water) operating in most areas.
Working today with a search and recovery team from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, there are multiple agencies from around the Southeast sending resources. We are incredibly grateful, and every resource is a blessing.
Day 2, while efforts continue, there are parts of the barrier islands (Sanibel, Pine Island, Matlacha and Fort Myers Beach) that are still inaccessible by anything other than air. There is an evacuation ferry operation running every 90 minutes from Sanibel (West side of where causeway used to be) to pull people from the island. 10am – 5pm
Matlacha (North end of Pine Island) is also a boat rescue operation after the bridge failed.
Incredibly, the historic Sanibel Lighthouse did survive the storm albeit with damage. The lightkeepers house is gone as are all the buildings around the Southern tip of the Island, but the Lighthouse is standing. There’s a metaphor and a message in that outcome.
Unfortunately, there are many people missing, and frantic out of state families looking for their loved ones. Hopefully, those missing were just last-minute evacuees that don’t know people are looking for them, and/or people with no way to communicate their status. Local radio stations are broadcasting names and addresses of missing persons in the hope that people can call in with information. This is why a communication plan is so critical for anyone in an extreme weather impact zone.
Search and rescue units are still working throughout Southwest Florida by air, boat and house-to-house searches. Some power and some water services have returned to the Eastern side of the impact zone, but as you go west (toward the coast) the power and water services are in much worse shape. [Tip: This is why garbage cans full of water are a part of the proactive planning. You can hydrate with bottled water, but you cannot clean without a stored potable water supply.]
The origination and transfer stations for electricity have been hit hard. There is no reason for linemen and pole diggers to be in the western zones because there is no infrastructure to trigger the origination of electricity. That’s why power will return in a systematic way from East (inland) to West (coastal). The thousands of power company employees are working on eastern impact areas where their efforts can restore power, while the longer engineering work of rebuilding transfer stations is happening in the west. Power will likely be out for several weeks in multiple areas.
Debris removal is about 50% throughout the zone. By ‘removal‘ I mean temporarily moved, shoved, pulled, cut or sawed out of the way. Again, the further West the more debris remains. Main roads are cleared, but local roads are blocked throughout. Stay close to home if you don’t need to travel or secure critical supplies.
Some food retailers have begun limited operation to open for the community. This will continue improving each day. Publix Supermarkets have generators running primary store functions.
There are nighttime curfews in affect throughout the Southwest Florida impact zone.
Fuel is a major problem, in part driven by the absence of power. A gas station without power is just a big underground gas tank. Most recovery teams are traveling with their own fuel supply.
Unfortunately, the heavy rains from north Florida are still flowing downstream into rivers and the flooding inland continues. The Peace River is expected to rise to a historic 24 ft above flood level; the previous record was just over 20 ft. Additionally, the current Myakka River flood has caused I-75 to close from North Port to Englewood.
Evacuations along the increasingly flooded inland waterways continue. Ian will be known as a storm carrying the deadly combination of wind and water as a storm event. Wind damage extreme, storm surge extreme, and river flooding (rain) extreme.
Janet, a 40-year-old single mom in a wheelchair, who just moved to SWFL a week ago, stranded on the second floor of her apartment building without power and without a community of friends to call for assistance. Her story is typical. Delivering food and supplies to people like Janet is a relief service anyone can handle. Radio networks are doing a great job using their format to organize local person to person assistance. Listeners are responding to each request; it is inspiring to see/hear the community pulling together. Fellowship lives here.
Alice, a 75-year-old woman without cash, and the only gas station she can find will only accept cash. Within seconds she is in line at the station with cash in her hand. This is what people do. Define living and you will find the light left by these comfortably invisible community stars. These are ordinary angels that defeat the looters by orders of magnitude.
There are many Janet’s and Alice’s right now, and fortunately there are overwhelming numbers of people responding to each call.
Yes, this is the fellowship part. Sweaty, perhaps a little scruffy, often accompanied by the smell of fuel-oil mix in the hug, but when you remove all class distinctions the remarkable human spirit that surfaces makes the back pain and callouses insignificant.
Electricity is nice, potable water even better, but perhaps fellowship is the most important part of the restoration process. At least, I think it is.
The desperation and worry on that unknown face tell me that you need my spot in line; here, take it.
I am not alone.
Every person reading this knows exactly what I am talking about without me even writing another word.
Life.
The best part.
Many people ponder the great universal questions of “why” these disaster events happen. I don’t have any idea.
Perhaps it’s just the way I’m wired, but I can only look at the immediate task at hand. Usually, I’m too busy focused on making the next the two feet of my immediate surroundings better, because looking at the hundreds of miles scares me. If I can make these next two feet in front of me better, then I will have accomplished something; and then – another two – and another two. Perhaps that’s my goofy way to deal with it.
However, when I think about fellowship and my community – perhaps we shouldn’t wait for hurricanes.
For all our South Carolina Treepers, our prayers are with you. We hope all in the path of Ian are able to weather the storm well and safely. As you are able, check in and let us all know you guys are okay.
According to ABC news, Ian made landfall just after 2 p.m. today as a Cat 1 hurricane with winds at 85 mph.
I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
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