2023-08-29 23:45:28
On September 28, 2022, the devastating Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida as a category 4, with winds of 250 kilometers per hour. Almost a year later, the state is preparing for the impact of Cyclone Idalia, which is estimated to be as powerful as the one mentioned above.
The storm surge from Hurricane Ian was 5.1 to 6 meters, which came ashore and caused extensive devastation.
LOOK: Hurricane Idalia in Florida LIVE: last minute and trajectory of the cyclone that will make landfall in the United States
Heavy rain and flooding from Hurricane Ian killed more than 150 people in Florida.
An aerial photograph taken on September 30, 2022 shows the only access to the Matlacha neighborhood destroyed following Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Ricardo ARDUENGO/AFP).
At least half of the deaths were reported in Lee County, where the hurricane made landfall. The hardest hit areas were Fort Myers, Sanibel and Pine Island
The phenomenon devastated entire neighborhoods and left 4 million people without electricity.
Rainfall from Hurricane Ian in 24 hours in Floroda. (AFP).
It was by far the costliest natural event in the world last year, with losses ranging from $50 billion to $100 billion, according to estimates by insurance companies.
According to estimates of CNNuninsured homeowners suffered losses of up to $17 billion due to flooding.
Damage caused by Hurricane Ian. (AFP).
Florida farmers and ranchers reported losses of up to $1.56 billion in crops, livestock, and greenhouse and aquaculture products due to the devastation, according to an analysis from the University of Florida.
Evacuation orders failed
But why were there so many deaths in Lee County? Evacuation orders by authorities were issued on September 27, less than 24 hours before Ian made landfall.
Other counties that knew of the hurricane’s potential impact on their territories issued their own evacuation orders more than a day in advance.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was harshly questioned regarding what happened in Lee County.
People clean up debris following Hurricane Ian destroyed Fort Myers Beach in Florida. (GIORGIO VIERA / AFP). Hurricane Ian destroyed a section of the road that leads to Sanibel, Florida, in Lee County. (AP).
Thousands lost their jobs
Hurricane Ian also impacted employment, as tens of thousands of people were forced to apply for unemployment benefits. Many of those workers were from service sectors such as tourism.
For their part, the large companies affected resorted to insurance or debt issuance to repair or replace damaged property and equipment, CNN reported.
As for aid from the federal government, one month following Ian’s impact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had provided $643 million in individual assistance to residents of 26 Florida counties. In addition, it launched 19 disaster recovery centers where people might register to receive help and to follow up on the process.
FEMA also provided shelter to some 5,400 people through the Transitional Housing Assistance Program, which allows direct payment to hotels and motels in Florida, Alabama and Georgia that provide emergency housing to survivors who have lost everything.
Orange County Fire Rescue first responders use an inflatable boat to rescue a resident from a home in the followingmath of Hurricane Ian in Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
What can happen with Hurricane Idalia in Florida?
On the morning of this Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States warned that Idalia, category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (of 5), is strengthening and might be an “extremely dangerous” hurricane with storm surges. storm surge, strong winds and torrential rains since before it made landfall in Florida on Wednesday.
Will its impact be as devastating as Ian’s? Jonathan Petramala, a “hunter” of hurricanes and other meteorological phenomena and director with Brandon Clement and Andy Coates of the documentary “Price of Paradise: Surviving Hurricane Ian,” told the agency EFE that Idalia “can easily become as strong as Ian.”
The “best case scenario” in terms of impact to the population is if, as forecasts indicate, Idalia makes landfall in the so-called “Big Bend”, says Petramala.
The “Big Bend”, explains EFE, is an area in northwestern Florida that is less densely populated than Tampa Bay, further south, which will be affected by the proximity of the hurricane but for now the forecasts do not place it on the path of a direct hit, according to NHC models.
“It is definitely a dangerous cyclone,” Petramala said in a message urging people to prepare, especially residents of the Tampa Bay area, who the hurricane “chaser” says cannot rely on luck. they had in 2022 and must flee from danger.
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