OT: Thinking of those who live on the West Coast of Florida

[KDPPatsfan85]

 

[FirstAndGoal]

I've got family right behind Barefoot Beach in a community (Bay Forest) on the ocean side of Vanderbilt. Haven't heard from them in 24 hours. I know Barefoot Beach was under water. One of the family members is immobile and 80 years old and couldn't evacuate so family stayed to take care of them.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Why does Florida still have above ground power lines? I live in Coastal Georgia and where I live all the power lines are under ground and we rarely lose power (and when we do it is because someone drove a car into a transformer, not because of weather). I was watching video of power lines all over Florida, bury them!

I would like to once again, thank Florida for taking the brunt of the storm and leaving us here in the great state of Georgia with some much-needed rain (my lawn was getting a little dry).

In all seriousness, I hope everyone in the storm's path is well and their property is undamaged.

 

[ashley]

Just incredible

 

[FirstAndGoal]

Actually not that surprising (but still funny). A lot of the brackish water areas have Manatees in them so when the surge hit, they were probably pushed deeper inland. My family has brackish water between them and the ocean and it's a haven for Manatees who hang out around the docs.

 

[BTTA]

Why does Florida still have above ground power lines? I live in Coastal Georgia and where I live all the power lines are under ground and we rarely lose power (and when we do it is because someone drove a car into a transformer, not because of weather). I was watching video of power lines all over Florida, bury them!

I would like to once again, thank Florida for taking the brunt of the storm and leaving us here in the great state of Georgia with some much-needed rain (my lawn was getting a little dry).

In all seriousness, I hope everyone in the storm's path is well and their property is undamaged.

The lines across from us are being buried soon, at a cost of $1M a mile. So there's that.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

The lines across from us are being buried soon, at a cost of $1M a mile. So there's that.

Repair takes longer and there's also the vegetation that rapidly grows in that sandy soil since most of southern Florida is reclaimed swamp. Cripes, years ago, we're talking over 30 years ago, most of that what people now consider Naples was mangrove. The whole place is a series of moates surrounding the gated communities. The expansion that happened there and how quickly it happened likely made the plan risky too. Imagine dropping wire only to find out a few years later, there's an entire community going to be built right over where you laid the buried wire.... then you have to dig it up and move it. I'm just guessing but I can imagine lots of problems.

 

[Jim Beankie]

Feels like I'm watching a Miyazaki movie.

 

[Kontradiction]

Why does Florida still have above ground power lines? I live in Coastal Georgia and where I live all the power lines are under ground and we rarely lose power (and when we do it is because someone drove a car into a transformer, not because of weather). I was watching video of power lines all over Florida, bury them!

I would like to once again, thank Florida for taking the brunt of the storm and leaving us here in the great state of Georgia with some much-needed rain (my lawn was getting a little dry).

In all seriousness, I hope everyone in the storm's path is well and their property is undamaged.

FPL controls most of Florida’s grid and they’re privatized. It costs a LOT of money to go UG.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

The expense of going underground is a lot higher when you tend to hit water any time you dig a 3 foot deep hole.

 

[Kontradiction]

Downtown St. Augustine is once again under water, and they didn’t even get a direct hit.

904 Happy Hour on Instagram: "TRACKING IAN ⛈ The morning report from Downtown St. Augustine. Flooding is getting worse. Stay safe out there! Storm Chaser @yesthisiseli"

12K likes, 387 comments - 904happyhour on September 29, 2022: "TRACKING IAN ⛈ The morning report from Downtown St. Augustine. Flooding is getting wor..."

www.instagram.com

 

[PatsFan2]

Downtown St. Augustine is once again under water, and they didn’t even get a direct hit.

904 Happy Hour on Instagram: "TRACKING IAN ⛈ The morning report from Downtown St. Augustine. Flooding is getting worse. Stay safe out there! Storm Chaser @yesthisiseli"

12K likes, 387 comments - 904happyhour on September 29, 2022: "TRACKING IAN ⛈ The morning report from Downtown St. Augustine. Flooding is getting wor..."

www.instagram.com

Moving to Florida in my twilight years is now off the menu.

 

[pats_premi]

Moving to Florida in my twilight years is now off the menu.

Same here, I wonder if condor is a better choice.

 

[203Pat]

FPL controls most of Florida’s grid and they’re privatized. It costs a LOT of money to go UG.

Can you even put everything underground in areas at or below sea level?

 

[Scotty]

Downtown St. Augustine is once again under water, and they didn’t even get a direct hit.

904 Happy Hour on Instagram: "TRACKING IAN ⛈ The morning report from Downtown St. Augustine. Flooding is getting worse. Stay safe out there! Storm Chaser @yesthisiseli"

12K likes, 387 comments - 904happyhour on September 29, 2022: "TRACKING IAN ⛈ The morning report from Downtown St. Augustine. Flooding is getting wor..."

www.instagram.com

How are things in Jacksonville ?

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Moving to Florida in my twilight years is now off the menu.

To put it in perspective, though...

I have lived here 18 years. There was one Hurricane, Wilma in 2005, that hit my home in that time. It did some damage: we lost enough roof shingles to cause leaks, lost trees, etc. There have been 2-3 other storms that were close enough to be a worry. One caused us to evacuate, but it veered off.

In the 18 years I have lived here, the family farm up north (in Indiana) where I grew up has been hit by tornadoes twice, with the damage/destruction of pretty much every building, except for the house. A barn gone. A corn crib gone, A grain bin gone. Sheds gone.

Hurricanes we always see coming a week away. Tornadoes you don't.

I wouldn't live right on the beach though. I'm fine with being 8 miles away.

 

[Kontradiction]

How are things in Jacksonville ?

I haven’t gone back home yet. Staying at my parents place in St. Augustine. My friends who don’t live on the beach have some downed trees and outages.

 

[Ian]

Moving to Florida in my twilight years is now off the menu.

I would say don't rule out living in Florida, but we were just talking about it and I don't think, if it ever became a possibility, that we'd pursue something right on or near the beach. There's literally nothing you can do about a storm surge and that's the real risk.

This has just been unbelievable. Seeing what people in Fort Myers went through is just awful, and even on this side (as @Kontradiction pointed out) it's been bad. Just crossing my fingers for everybody who is on the shoreline because it's still going on here - albeit not to the extent it was when it made landfall - and the wind and rain has been unreal.

 

[Kontradiction]

I would say don't rule out living in Florida, but we were just talking about it and I don't think, if it ever became a possibility, that we'd pursue something right on or near the beach. There's literally nothing you can do about a storm surge and that's the real risk.

This has just been unbelievable. Seeing what people in Fort Myers went through is just awful, and even on this side (as @Kontradiction pointed out) it's been bad. Just crossing my fingers for everybody who is on the shoreline because it's still going on here - albeit not to the extent it was when it made landfall - and the wind and rain has been unreal.

Yeah, we have been talking about it. We love the location, but the insurance is already crazy (and rightfully so), the home value has gone up almost 200% from when I bought it, and the storm surge is always a lingering threat. It wasn’t fun during Matthew and Irma and I’m hoping I’m not coming back to more of the same. We’re thinking about putting the house on the market and moving to the west side of 3rd (A1A for you non-Jax Beach people here). Maybe something near Penman so we can still be at the beach, but not have to worry about storm surge.

 

[Ian]

Moving to Florida in my twilight years is now off the menu.

And downtown St. Augustine is - I believe - just below sea level and that's why they always get crushed. That being said, it's probably one of the most resilient areas I've ever seen, especially considering heavy rain oftentimes floods that area out and then the next day, it's like it never happened.

Even with major hurricanes, like this one, they still persevere. Although, most of the buildings are all concrete and they're no stranger to this, but still ... how they do it blows my mind. But that area is definitely more the exception than the rule.