South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. Trump's last major visit to Scotland was in 2018, while he was still president, sparking a heavy security operation and several days of protests. It wasnt supposed to be hitting us, Conway said. The nesting season lasts through October. I never would have dare dreamed to have a hurricane like this hit Fort Myers Beach and for us to be on the worst side possible of it.. Michael Yost at the damaged home he was renting in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. "It was hard to get in there because the couches and everything floated up, all mixed together. Others underestimated their risks, particularly after Hurricane Irma in 2017, when many residents evacuated but returned to untouched homes, which clouded some peoples understanding of whether they had been in real peril. Islanders on the six-mile stretch of land had been eagerly awaiting updates on their only grocery store for months, reaching out to officials and posting to social media. The deputies from the Sheriffs Office will help us in the event of a disoriented turtle on the street, she said. As a Category 4 hurricane, Irma caused more than $64 billion in South Florida can expect heavy rains, gusty winds, and coastal flooding. Ian also illustrated the challenge of protecting densely populated waterfront communities from extreme weather worsened by climate change; thousands of coastal residents chose not to evacuate. Its hard to tell what this season will look like. Like the house, all the couple's plans were scrambled and destroyed by the hurricane. There were 109 loggerhead sea turtle nests recorded on Fort Myers Beach last year, up from 30 when Turtle Time first began tracking the nests. Property owners are encouraged to be proactive. One of the most common reasons people chose not to leave areas at high risk of storm surge was that they had survived hurricanes before unscathed. One of the places severely damaged by Hurricane Ian was Fort Myers Beach, and seven months later, theres still more to do, but theyve come a long way. On Sept. 27, the day before Ians expected arrival, Lee County officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for people close to the coast, including Collson. File photo. Homeless advocates have nowhere to put them. Still, at the seven-month mark since the Category 4 storm hit, it can be difficult and painful to see the scars that remain in many places, including Sanibel Island, which along with Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island and parts of Cape Coral and Fort Myers neighborhoods along the Caloosahatchess River, absorbed the brunt of Ian. Beneath the Matanzas Pass Bridge, where Capt. Part of a destroyed mobile home park is pictured in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Sept. 30, 2022. Destruction caused by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach is viewed from the air on Oct. 1, 2022. Still, county officials said they made the right call. It is responsible for an estimated 9.6% of current cases in US, Doctors seeing an uptick in 'pink eye' associated with this variant, Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Mom, I cant come get you, DeMoss recalled saying. Clayton, the countys spokeswoman, said in an email that the government held about two dozen hurricane seminars for the public from April to August. Hed written his plea for all to see: I need help finding a 47-foot sailboat. Then a guy he knows told him about this 38-footer in Placida, about an hours drive north. Any death, whether its a car accident or storm surge, is tragic. Trucks bobbed past. The maps are supposed to help people understand their risk and plan what to do when big storms come and help local governments determine which areas should be evacuated. A Florida bill allowing the death penalty in child rape convictions now has the governor's signature, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling banning capital punishment in such cases. Part of the reason for the difference in numbers each year is that female sea turtles typically lay eggs every other year. Jay scaling a five-story pole. The stores will be closed by the end of June, so what can consumers expect in the coming weeks? Before the news was confirmed, some locals had gotten a sneak peek when they spotted the store was listed as reopening on May 25 on Google earlier this week. Elizabeth Dunn, who leads a Hillsborough County community emergency response team that knocks on doors to spread awareness of storm surge threats, said many residents, particularly older ones, still dont fully understand the danger of not evacuating high-risk areas. Jim and Susan Helton sit int he back of a car outside a hotel in Fort Myers, Fla. Their home in Fort Myers beach was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. Please note, filter wraps, gels, and colored , are not compliant, because the emit light that sea turtles are sensitive to., Efforts will focus on identifying problematic lights and educating property owners on solutions. It had been made for the 1985 John Candy movie Summer Rental, filmed around Tampa Bay. He tried to stay positive, but when he saw the boat inside his house and the damage done by the surge, his heart sank. Florida's unemployment rate remained at 2.6 percent in March, as service-related jobs continued to lead in new hiring and construction jobs fell for a third consecutive month. If passed, Hurricane Tax Relief Week would be May 27. As Floridians, we just think weve got it. It was Ian's storm surge that did the damage. All the more reason for the Town to pursue getting amber LEDs put in place. Hoffman had evacuated for that storm. WebSeptember 9, 1919 The 1919 Florida Keys hurricane passes about 50 miles (80 km) south of Key West, producing strong winds and heavy rainfall reaching an estimated peak of 13.4 Michael Verdream moved last year from California to Matlacha, where he rented a one-story house and remodeled homes for a living. Right now, there are multiple major violations that will need to be ameliorated by May 1., to wander further inland, possibly onto Estero Boulevard. By then, Yost, who doesnt have a car and gets around on an electric bicycle, didnt think he had much choice but to remain. Jim and her health aide pleaded with her to change her mind. Landscaping. FORT MYERS, FLA. No place in Florida seemed to have suffered more damage from Hurricane Ian than the town of Fort Myers Beach, located on Estero Island As wind and water battered her tiny home in the island community of Matlacha, Peggy Collson texted her brother in a panic. Daniel Noah, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tampa, said that regardless of the effort by local officials and forecasters, there will be people who dont leave and die because of it. This doesnt need to happen.. CBS4's Ted Scouten reports on the increasing presence of climate change, and how is making it necessary for us to look differently at hurricanes. But, its what you need once the winds die down thats extra important. Collsons body was found two days later, in the water several hundred feet from where she lived. The Heltons' home is on the back bay in Fort Myers Beach, part of a boating community that's now gone. Utterback began looking for ways for the couple to escape, while Conway tried to keep her head above the water as it rose toward the ceiling, she said. And then we saw satellite pictures of the house, and we knew. New construction. Prices for other grocery staples, like fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and bread have gone up. Collson, an avid cook who liked to kid and laugh, stuck firmly to her decision not to leave home, Jim said. April 28, I'm alive," Jim says, and then laughs. He said the first thing to check is the deductibles on your policy. "I got over there today and there was a note by the coffee machine, 'Call the sales lady.' NBC News reporters submitted more than 60 public records requests to local and state police agencies, medical examiners offices and emergency management agencies to collect 911 and emergency dispatch recordings, police reports, autopsy records and other documents to account for the dead. Its easy to criticize people for not making the right decision from the outside looking in, but there are many, many factors which can play into that decision, Parks said. This was the seventh hurricane seasonin a row to produce a deadly landfalling hurricane on the U.S mainland. Amber LED light is bright, but it has a wavelength that is long which sea turtles and other nocturnal species, including migratory birds, dont react to. (The 29 other deaths were in post-storm accidents and suicides, in addition to one homicide in which a contractor was shot.) By dawn on Tuesday, Sept. 27, Ians projected path put Lee County in the storms crosshairs. NBC News has identified 148 deaths related to Hurricane Ian in Florida, based on public records obtained from local and state authorities (see the full methodology below). He found Utterbacks body stuck in a window. And its only one month until we could start seeing storms developing across the waters. They amassed donated blankets, bikes and food, formed a makeshift community. He was glad to make coffee on a real stove each morning and have ice in his rum and Cokes at night. "I thought, you gave me one disaster, don't push it. The order was in response to a change in Ians forecast path, which shifted to the south and put Ian on course for a direct hit on the Fort Myers region. Jay spent five months beneath a Fort Myers bridge before buying an old boat. Both Utterback, 54, and Pacyna, 74, had drowned. We were just hoping for the best, Jim said. Six months after Hurricane Ian smashed his liveaboard sailboat into the mangroves, after a Coast Guard helicopter rescued him, after spending five months in a They were now on their own. Yost went looking for Pacyna after the storm and was told by a neighbor that he hadn't survived. The result has led many homeowners to state-backed Citizens Insurance. Jay said at the end of March, ranting about the boatyard owners. The $50 billion in damage statewide made Irma Floridas fifth-costliest hurricane at the time, but the storm still wasnt as destructive as forecasters had feared. The home of Kristina Peters, who died along with her boyfriend, Joel Jackson, during Hurricane Ian, in North Fort Myers, Fla. Before Ian hit, Peters' son begged her to leave. Ron DeSantis official travel records secret. And the Barnacles so much worse than I thought.. On Florida's east coast, residentsare working to prevent batteredbeachfront properties from collapsing into the ocean after first Ian, then Nicole ripped awaymountains of sand and seawalls. While Southwest Florida continues recovering from Hurricane Ian, this years hurricane season is a month away. On the east coast of Florida, Volusia County opted for only a voluntary evacuation order ahead of Ian. In some communities, homes spared in the storm are now flooding from rain-swollen rivers. Chustz will patrol the beach at night to monitor light pollution on sea turtle nesting habitat. Like many Floridians, Capt. Throughout southwest Florida, there are tens of thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Ian with stories like the Heltons. After his daughter was grown, he sold his house near Lake City and moved onto his first sailboat in 2006. May marks the start of mental health awareness month, and one group is working to help people understand how unresolved grief plays a role in mental health. "I'm hanging in," he says. We knew it was not a good chance she made it.. But Lee County had kept its schools open on Monday, Sept. 26, two days before Ians arrival, as did Charlotte County. There is no one to blame. LANTANA, Fla. As Florida approaches the start of hurricane season on June 1, insurance experts said there are some things homeowners should be checking. There was nothing else we could really do, he said. Arbelo, 62, of Whitehouse Station, N.J., confirmed that her brother died after Hurricane Ian hit Florida as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph on Wednesday afternoon. Copyright 2023 Fort Myers Broadcasting. He rode out three hurricanes and dozens of other storms on the water. The town charges $250 for the first citation and $500 for additional violations for the same property. Rebuilding. Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is on trial in federal court on charges of corruption and lying to the FBI. Last year, there were 109 loggerhead sea turtle nests documented on Fort Myers Beach, Haverfield said. Its not hard to remember the days immediately following Hurricane Ian and how tough they were. Ian brought this gap into focus.. In mid-March, a few weeks after his story ran in the Tampa Bay Times, he caught a ride to the boatyard. The funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, with 70% earmarked for median-income level areas and 30% for other uses, amount to about $1,338 per person in the county, per the [], Hurricane Ian has drawn powerful attention to an Army Corps of Engineers feasibility study of coastal storm risk management in Collier County that began after Hurricane Irma but was shelved before a final report was released. But they feel lucky they got a room here after their home was demolished in the storm. Lee County will be receiving more than $1.1 billion from the federal government as a boost to continue recovering from Hurricane Ian. He evacuated for Hurricane Irma in 2017 but decided not to leave for Ian. Capt. That system went into effect in southwest Florida ahead of Ian. Few places are taking new tenants. Thats why hurricane experts say preparing ahead of time is vital. Nicole is expected to weaken to a depression early Friday, Additional weakening is forecast while Nicole moves over land. Jay has no idea where his neighbors went. To make those arrangements is a little complicated to do at the last minute, he said. A member of a search-and-rescue team checks a home for victims in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Oct. 3. Hurricane Ian illustrated the challenges of protecting densely populated waterfront communities and exposed shortcomings in how local governments respond, an NBC News investigation found. He was sick of the grind of bureaucracy, tired of living on land. Haverfield, who lost her home off island in Fort Myers to Hurricane Ian like many others on Fort Myers Beach, said thankfully most of my volunteers have joyfully returned. Last year, there were 109 loggerhead sea turtle nests documented on Fort Myers Beach, Haverfield said. "We were going to sell [the house] this winter," Jim says. Turtle Time has had to deal with a higher number of sea turtle deaths this year than normal, some of which are from boats, others which could be due to several red tide waves and impacts to the water from Hurricane Ian. "I have a son over there," he says, "and he doesn't like Florida." File photo. Fifteen of the organizations clients died in Ian. I would have gone and picked him up.. " We have a tentative reopening date of May 25 for the Fort Myers Beach location. Six months after Hurricane Ian stormed across Southwest Florida, people in many areas are still struggling to rebuild. But in January, after all 260 closed, hundreds of people were forced onto the streets and into the woods. In the video at the top of this page you can still see hard-hit areas that are still months, or even years away from fully recovering. So that makes the need to prepare for hurricane season even more essential. Ians forecast called for heavy rains, but ultimately, the storm brought more rainfall than expected, and with stronger winds, Judge said. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. Many residents, especially those who were new to the area, didnt know that they lived in storm surge danger zones, relatives and survivors said. The agency uses the maps in public education campaigns around the country before the annual start of hurricane season. Of the 109 nests recorded on Fort Myers Beach last year, 11 of those nests had hatchlings which disoriented due to lighting violations on Fort Myers Beach. Even though the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30,its repercussionswill linger long into the future. Jay landed after the storm, dozens of others pitched tents and relieved themselves in paint buckets. In a place with one of Americas highest risks of deadly storm surge, Collson was among the most vulnerable and overlooked. Take a walk on the beach to see if your propertys lighting is visible from the beach, and install wildlife friendly lighting now, rather than waiting for warning letters and enforcement citations, Chustz advised residents in an email. Anjali Nair / Nigel Chiwaya; Thomas Simonetti; NBC News. When it comes to windows and glass slider doors, FWC sea turtle biologists have advised that turtle glass with 45% light transmittance may not be sufficient to adequately reduce light visibility to nesting and hatchling sea turtles. CBS4's Trish Christakis spoke with one resident who has to put his washer and dryer on concrete blocks to avoid them being flooded out. Social media posts are capturing the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Ian, which made landfall near Cayo Costa on Sept. 28, The damage includes flooding, destruction to homes, businesses, vehicles and infrastructure, and possibly loss of live. But a local councilman didnt want tents on the beach. He contrasted the delay to what happened during Hurricane Irma, when the countys evacuation order was announced three days before landfall. and last updated 2023-04-26 18:10:08-04. The elevation of the $7.8 million berm will be more than 6 feet and will cover most of the beachside of the island. Fort Myers Beach was particularly hit hard by the 15-foot storm surge. Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher and two 8-member teams from FEMA went door-to-door Monday in some of the areas hardest hit by last month's flooding. There is no word yet on new store designs or grand opening details. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent. It demolished his sunroom and opened the house to the elements. A House plan to eliminate the business-recruitment agency Enterprise Florida and relocate tourism-marketing efforts also would lead to a change in the name of the state Department of Economic Opportunity. It's a blow he's not sure he can recover from. Until then, his dreams will keep him afloat. The Tuesday morning order surprised Matthew Hoffman, who has lived in Fort Myers Beach for more than a decade. Hurricane Ian is going to be the strongest outreach messaging for southwest Florida ever, said Gleason, the Charlotte County spokesman. Im so nervous I could throw up, she wrote. There, his new home sits on a slip of gravel. Theyre calling for a season that is just below normal. Jon Schuppe is an enterprise reporter for NBC News, based in New York. LEE COUNTY, Fla. Two people were arrested after an attack outside a Fort Myers Dollar General.. The hatchlings, once they break out of their eggs and through the sand out of their nests, will head for the Gulf of Mexico as long as they arent disorientated by any light or other human activity. Jay planned, then, to travel to Key West. When Turtle Time first started documenting nests in 1996, there were only 30 recorded. A month after Hurricane Ian ravaged Fort Myers Beach, Fla., rubble and fallen trees line the roads. He screamed at the storm from behind rattling windows. Ian was one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the U.S. in the past 20 years. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The weather is expected to worsen beginning Wednesday morning and intensify in the afternoon and evening, Superintendent Mike Burke said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution, Peak impacts for South Florida will likely take place Wednesday, Subtropical Storm Nicole is now expected to become a hurricane over the Bahamas before hitting Florida's east coast. We are particularly concerned for everybody in Southwestern Florida, everyone that sustained significant damage from Hurricane Ian, Ross Giarratana from the National Weather Service said. This morning, our CBS4's News meteorologist Dave Warren and Jennifer Correa bring you the latest weather outlook for South Florida. Jim asks Basabe about the investigation, as well as his stance on LGBTQ+ rights and abortion. Of the 109 nests recorded on Fort Myers Beach last year, 11 of those nests had hatchlings which disoriented due to lighting violations on Fort Myers Beach. Skulls are emerging on a I may be in the water by next week.. Sand from Immokalee is getting trucked in. 2023 www.news-press.com. They walk the beach at dawn each morning looking for the tracks of turtles who have nested. There were 109 loggerhead sea turtle nests recorded on Fort Myers Beach last year, up from 30 when Turtle Time first began tracking the nests. Web2005,Oct 24th , Hurricane Wilma comes in approx 40 miles to the south with 125mph winds while moving very quickly NE at 25mph. The insurance industry in Florida has been battered in recent years by hurricanes in different parts of the state and some companies have failed, while others are raising rates or dropping customers. Our team is working diligently to get the store prepped and ready for reopening," Lindsey Willis, Publix media relations manager, said in an email. He doesn't expect to be around to see it. That experience influenced many peoples decisions not to flee Hurricane Ian. Usually, theres a Hurricane Tax Relief Week ahead of hurricane season. Loss of buildings, vegetation could impact turtles, This year will be a challenge because of the missing buildings and vegetation that once blocked light from reaching the beach, Haverfield said. Tom James for WGCU/NPR ", Jim says he's also thought about God, the challenge he's been given and whether he's still up to it. They included 64 drownings, 19 deaths because of delayed medical care, nine falls and eight deaths due to oxygen machines failing because of power outages, as well as people who died from infections, car crashes and accidents. Melissa Chan is a reporter for NBC News Digital with a focus on gun violence. Florida Gov. Hed never been through a hurricane before, and he didnt have a car. A tornado touched down in Charlotte County, smashing and destroying anything in its way. Rent vouchers dont help. Amber LED light is bright, but it has a wavelength that is long which sea turtles and other nocturnal species, including migratory birds, dont react to. In this CBS Miami special report, we take a look at a whole host of hurricane season topics from above average activity to complacency Someone to travel around the world with me., Im going to do a TV show from every port. Because I'm just about out of gas.". About 10% of the homeless had lived on boats that were destroyed. The Bay to Beach condo complex is at 740 Estero Boulevard, about a quarter mile north of the Fort Myers Beach pier where the rooftop fire with copious smoke was reported around 12:30 p.m. What you do is up to you, Gleason said. The deputies from the Sheriffs Office will help us in the event of a disoriented turtle on the street,, Where the newly constructed berm is in place, sea turtles are less likely to reach Estero Boulevard., conscientious about the lighting they are installing,, It is also just as important to draw your curtains close at night. The largest hurricane was Unnamed in The late September storm exposed shortcomings in how local governments communicate the risk posed by hurricanes, decide when to order evacuations and identify and help the most vulnerable residents. Living in the same town but in a new home that felt sturdier, he assumed the predictions about storm surge would once again not come to fruition. Though there hasnt been a nesting yet on Fort Myers Beach, Haverfield said the false crawls (as it is known when a sea turtle emerges on the beach but doesnt lay eggs) on Bonita Beach over the weekend were exciting to see.. She dialed 911 for help but was told it was too late; rescue operations were on hold until the storm passed, Jim said. The Bay to Beach condo complex is at 740 Estero Boulevard, about a quarter mile north of the Fort Myers Beach pier where the rooftop fire with copious smoke was reported around 12:30 p.m. He had heeded calls to leave before Irma because the Fort Myers Beach home he was living in at the time looked like it was held together by staples, he said. FORT MYERS, Fla. As Hurricane Ian charged toward the western coast of Florida this week, the warnings from forecasters were growing more urgent. The band is saying "peace out" after more than 50 years together. A friend helped him haul his donated bed, bookcase and boombox, his Mozart CDs and fishing poles, to the boatyard. View from above: Aerial video shows Fort Myers Beach scars six months after Ian, These 8 aerial photos of Fort Myers Beach reveal wounded landscape six months after Ian, Sanibel island hurricane damage documented in drone video, For only the second time in its history, the US Navy is beginning the slow, tricky process of taking apart a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, A Towering, Terrifying Demon Horse Isnt Even the Weirdest Part, Man who lost wife, son in Texas mass shooting tells story, Roman Polanski and the woman he pleaded guilty to raping pose together 45 years later, Hunter Biden appears in court for paternity case, After Hurricane Ian: Sanibel vacationer posts uplifting message, Walk-in interviews in Venice, North Port allow Hurricane Ian victims to request assistance, Hurricane Preparedness Week: Here are 9 ways to prepare for this season, Florida residents urged to begin preparation for upcoming hurricane season, Florida city sued by residents over flooding.

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