Hurricane Ian 08

Please note: As of this entry, my posts are being backdated as to give “real time writing” for what happened during Hurricane Ian.

The posts will be mixed with personal thoughts, news interjections and random items. I tried my best to give times, but there are points I did not write it down, so you’ll have to understand that there may be some time spans.

As I typed this out, if I’m talking about news for some bullet points in a row, I am trying to keep them together. In instances where I am rambling, as I usually do, don’t mind the nonsensical freeform. That too, I tried to lump together.

Reader discretion advised (there is some TMI [“too much information”]).

Pictures to come at some point (over 1,000 snaps).

October 5, 2022

 

7:57am – everyone is outside. They have been out since 6:30 this morning. I went outside to charge my phone while it is still cool out. My phone has been overheating out there because it’s getting the sun beating down on it and it sits on a bush. As it sits under these conditions, it over heats, which affects the battery.

 

News update: Biden will be in the city around 12pm today. Take a tour of the really bad areas, so the town will be full of security and make the bad traffic worse.

 

So much for thinking about taking Ellen up on an offer to pick us up today to stream services and get some more power to our stuff…. See the devastation around the area as well…

 

 With our trash really stinking up the garage and coming into the house, my mother is getting nervous about rats coming in because she heard on the radio people need to be careful because of the stench.

 

Neighbor talk: rain coming in on Monday and lasting until Wednesday (not all day stuff. Just bits and pieces). Humidity starts today – won’t be fun.

A neighbor stopped by with Krispy Kreme donuts because she is bringing them to someone else. She said the traffic in that area of the shop is horrendous – she does not recommend going out there. We said how I’m worried to go back to work because I don’t want to get stuck anywhere for a while. Especially since they are diverting traffic – can’t take left hand turns in some places. I don’t want to attempt to go around the world to get there or get home. I have challenges with that job as it is. I’m not going into it here, but I know there must now be new things happening while I am not there.

 

9:34am – interesting fact: The main doors in Florida houses open outwards, so when storms hit, water and winds can hit the door and not push it inside the house and cause more damage than needed.

 

11:57am – we are at Ellen’s after she had picked us up around 10:30. The decision was made she would pick us up even though traffic would be crazier with the president here. We quick ran to Costco for little things and it was our first trip out since last Tuesday. We were shocked to see how bad it is. Costco was packed to the gills but a normal packed. We tried not to go crazy and buy the store out. I was tempted to buy a 12 pack box of coconut water I usually get, but it’s now $22.99 (wasn’t it like 18.99 the last time I was there???) but I have an unopened box and at least 10 bottles from another box. Why be greedy? I did buy some of the Liquid IV packs since we’re sitting outside in the sun – need to replace what I’m sweating out and force myself to drink more. We also bought some ready made meal stuff for today and maybe leftovers for tomorrow. We are now in her house with power, cable, internet and charging what we brought with us.

 

12:43pm – news: Biden is landing in RSW and will do an aerial tour because it’ll be easier for him to see everything. The roads are already congested and riding in a convertible will make everything worse. So a flyover is what they are doing – makes it easier and safer for everyone. Cameras are showing such destruction, but as a side note, the Sanibel Lighthouse is still standing – just everything else around it is destroyed. What / where Marine One can get to, they will get  on the ground and he will give a speech.

 

There is a makeshift dirt bridge going to Pine Island, it is for the Army trucks and other cars to be able to get through and travel.

 

Things are trying to go up but it’s a slow roll still. I think they are starting to work on more infrastructures. We still don’t have power in my community and we are all worried about the sewer problem.

 

Just the “short” ride to Ellen’s through the traffic, I’m glad I’m not driving into work. People I talk to who are travelling in the area said the main side street I need to go on, you can’t get down. Totally blocked. So there goes one of two parking lots for my building. But the ride as a whole, I really can’t see myself wanting to try to drive around.

 

News is reporting there is such looting around. People aren’t caring and they are breaking into random stores and stealing what they can. The police are watching what’s going on and there is zero tolerance for it. It’s horrible.

 

2:52pm – News – After over an hour of shaking hands, the president is ready to give a speech. DeSantis can’t thank anyone one enough but he’s not mentioning Biden specifically (they hate each other). It’s major blessings that we are receiving because people are coming all over the country to help. He claims over 97% of Florida is powered. FPL says 85% is powered. LCEC has accepted help from other co-ops. He wants this to be the lineman capital of the world and it’s working.

 

Problem is, he’s lying. 85% if FL is not powered up. We saw that today – we live in a section with no power. We talk to people who still have no power in other communities.

 

 “Pine Island is not fully powered”.  They “have to get everyone evacuated first”. Biden said he appreciates the aerial tour because it puts everything into perspective but it’ll take years for Florida to recover.

 

The news conference is definitely pulling too much energy right now. Biden’s speech keeps going in and out – freezing, pixelating. I am getting double texts again. The towers are being over worked. I guess we are going backwards while he tries to push us forward…

Biden is now using a different (handheld) microphone. When everything started to glitch, they switched him.

 

They want to put more money into the infrastructure to help future proof the state to go forward and not let this happen again.

Elon Musk has secured somewhere in the ballpark of a dozen (I don’t remember the exact number). Starlink Satellites from his space mission. He’s turned the satellites to face us and get the pods linked to cable and telephone. It only works if you go to the plaza the pod is in. You can’t be home and think you’ll attach to the pod. It only works within that small radius.

 

3:15 – the news conference is over. There was too many connection problems. They are pulling too hard from the towers. Maybe the Starlink for them isn’t working in their favor.

 

Community update – the lift station is on a temporary grid so the sewerage problem is temporarily solved. “People can flush”.

 

Talking about Starlink to Ellen and my mother – there are 5 space link receivers at Lakes Regional Library. My mother found the article talking about it. You need to be in the parking lot of the link to directly connect to it. It doesn’t spray out.

 

3:22pm – we are going to start packing up and going home