‘500-Year Event’: Hurricane Ian Leaves Devastating Wake As Florida Death Toll Rises, Millions Lack Power | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the The Daily Wire. The author of this post is Greg Wilson.

    The full measure of Hurricane Ian's coast-to-coast trail of death and devastation in Florida was revealed as dawn broke Friday, including at least 19 deaths, countless homes washed out to sea, and millions without power in what may go down as the most devastating natural disaster in Sunshine State history.

    Some 42,000 workers were scrambling Friday to restore power to as many as 2.6 million businesses and homes. The death toll is expected to rise as emergency management personnel survey Gulf Coast communities including Lee and Charlotte counties, which absorbed the brunt of the powerful storm.

    "This is going to be a storm we talk about for years to come," National Weather Service Director Ken Graham said.

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who called the hurricane a "500-year event," said Thursday night that he personally surveyed damage in Charlotte County and Lee County and came away stunned.

    "Some of the damage was indescribable," DeSantis said. "The most significant damage I saw was on Fort Myers Beach. Some of the homes were wiped out, some were just concrete slabs."

    Some 200 people have been rescued by the Fort Myers Fire Department, according to Mayor Kevin Anderson, who said there were no known fatalities in his city so far. In Lee County, more than 1,000 patients were evacuated from hospitals after the water supply was cut off, and more evacuations were taking place in nursing homes and even prisons.

    Islands off the Gulf Coast were left isolated after bridges and causeways were damaged or washed away entirely. At least two people were killed on Sanibel island, and Chip Farrar, who lives on the island of Matlacha, told CNN it was completely cut off from the mainland.

    Some early estimates have put damage to the Tampa area alone at $16 billion. The Category 4 hurricane was especially devastating because of its unusually large, 35-mile wide eye and the amount of rainfall it brought, measured at over 14 inches in one 12-hour span. The torrential rains and contributed to historic flooding in creeks and rivers in central and northern Florida.

    Experts said Ian will go down as one of the strongest storms in Florida history. Colorado State University meteorologist and hurricane expert Philip Klotzbach said the only hurricanes that struck the mainland directly and were more powerful were Michael in 2018, Andrew in 1992 and the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.

    Ian blew out into the Atlantic, only to regroup as a Category 1 storm with 85-mph winds and begin barreling toward the South Carolina coast early Friday. A hurricane warning was issued from the Savannah River at the Georgia-South Carolina state line to Cape Fear, North Carolina.

    Officials expect it to make landfall Friday afternoon between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, bringing storm surges of up to seven feet and as much as a foot of rain.

    "This is a dangerous storm that will bring high winds and a lot of water," South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted. "Be smart, make good decisions, check on your loved ones, and stay safe."

poll#162

In what may be the most divisive period in modern American History, even more divisive than the turbulent sixties due to today's lack of patriotism, consider what are the major catalysts causing so much of this calamity of conflict, and vote: What most instigates the division of America, on this day September 20, 2022?

  Racism within our society

  Sex realignment to the detriment of our society.

  Biden /Harris Wide Open Southern Border Policy for the Demographic Upheaval of OUR Constitutional Republic

  Rampant Crime in Democratic controlled cities, and the possible contagion elsewhere

  Covid Pandemic, and its mishandling at the political, and bureaucratic levels.

  The unresolved questions /allegation regarding the flawed 2020 General Election

  January 6th Riot or "Armed Insurrection", depending upon patriotic perspective

  Joe Biden as Divisive Leader; Ineffective and Corrupt Executive

  Failed Education Industry, from an overall perspective, regarding all levels of education.

  Propagandistic Media in complete conflict with the First Amendment's guarantee of Freedom of Speech, and the awesome responsibility of a Free Press..

  "Orangeman Bad!"

  Bureaucracy rushing to a behemoth size, its unjustified expense, and far too often overreach.

  The Weaponized Deep State for political purposes

  A secular ambivalence to all that is real.

  Record number of overdose deaths from opioids and now Fentanyl

  Biden Administration's disastrous Foreign Policy

  Bidenflation /supply chain failure inevitably evolving into stagflation and recession.

  "Ultra MAGA Extremists" freely speaking louder AND LOUDER!

927 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?

poll#154

Inarguably, the policies of the Democrats in congress and Joe Biden as the Executive is plunging the United States into a recession, if we are not already there; a recession that was completely avoidable. Will abrupt changes in policies occur in time?

  Yes, the Democrats have a bold plan, yet to be revealed, to save us.

  No, there will have to be a complete undoing of the damage done by these Democrats.

  I can't do simple math, so how am I to understand the concept of basic economics.

1,216 total vote(s)     What's your Opinion?