The area around Fort Myers on Florida’s west coast was hardest hit by Ian. Satellite images show enormous destruction. Entire areas where there used to be homes are now completely razed. So far, 99 deaths have been reported in Florida, writes Reuters. But it is still missing and many places have not been investigated. The family of 49-year-old Elizabeth McGuire is one of those who have received bad news. They last spoke to her on Wednesday and had not been in contact since. The message came from the police on Friday. McGuire was found dead in bed in his home with his mobile phone in his hand. Police say it appears she died instantly. Satellite image of Fort Myers Beach, Florida taken in April 2022 and October 2, 2022. Slide the image to see before/after. Snakes and alligators The clean-up work after “Ian” is demanding. On Sanibel Island, off Fort Myers. says fire chief William Briscoe to CNN that every single house is damaged. In some places, the work is also threatened by dangerous animals. – Alligators run around and there are snakes everywhere, says Briscoe. The alligators in Florida can grow to around five meters in length. According to the Florida Fish and Game Commission, an average of eight people are seriously bitten by alligators a year. Since 1948, 26 people have been killed by alligators. The problem is not limited to Sanibel Island. Also in Punta Gorda, a couple of miles further north, alligators have been observed. An alligator lies at the water’s edge after Hurricane Ian hit Punta Gorda on Florida’s west coast. Photo: SHANNON STAPLETON / Reuters Lack of power Large areas of Florida are still without power, almost a week after “Ian” passed. On Monday evening, a total of 520,000 homes and businesses in Florida were still without power. Most places will have power restored within the week, but in some places it may take a long time. In Fort Myers Beach, one of the hardest hit areas, it could take 30 days before the power is back on, says councilor Roger Desjarlais. He describes an area where thousands of boats have ended up in gardens, in mangrove swamps or sunk. One of the dangers now is that diesel from the boats runs out and pollutes the area. Satellite image of Fort Myers Beach, Florida taken in April 2022 and October 2, 2022. Slide the image to see before/after. No overview How many houses have been destroyed, there is so far no overview. With the help of photos and videos, the New York Times has covered a section of Fort Myers Beach. It is a low-lying island that was hit by “Ian”. Altogether they have counted almost 400 buildings that are visibly destroyed or damaged. The newspaper writes that it is only a fraction of what has been destroyed in Florida, but that it gives a picture of the scope. The only thing left of this Fort Myers Beach house is the swimming pool. Photo: JOE RAEDLE / AFP Lack of money and insurance Many of those affected will have major problems rebuilding their lives. The car of 50-year-old Llewellyn Davenport was taken by the storm surge. His residence, an 8.5 meter long mobile home, is also completely destroyed. – I don’t have enough money to replace both the car and the house. I have enough for one of the parts, he says to the New York Times. He is not alone. In the counties where evacuation orders were issued, less than 20 per cent of the homes have insurance through the national program for flood insurance. The result is that many do not know where they will live in the future. Some tell the newspaper that they have no choice but to stay in their destroyed homes. Llewellyn Davenport is a widower and lives alone. He says he will manage without a car, even if he has to cycle 16 kilometers each way to work. – I have no place to live. I’ve managed on my own all my life. I have never needed help from others and I don’t intend to start now, he says. Large boats are thrown far ashore in the Fort Myers Beacb. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell / AP Worse because of climate change Scientists have concluded that “Ian” had 10 percent more rain than it would have had if there had been no climate change. This is stated by Michael Wehner from and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Kevin Reed from Stony Brook University, according to Bloomberg. The researchers used a model previously published in Nature. Precisely the large amounts of water from “Ian” led to much of the enormous destruction. Large boats are thrown far ashore in the Fort Myers Beacb.
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Alligators “run around” and make it difficult to clean up after hurricane “Ian” – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
