Hurricane Ian Diminishes In Intensity to Category 2, But Sweeps Over Central Florida with Massive Flooding;
DeSantis: "Basically a 500 Year Flood Event"

50-65 feet of the Sanibel Causeway Bridge collapsed,
cutting off Sanibel Island from the mainland and
stranding anyone who did not evacuate earlier

The spectacular part of the storm is abating. Now comes the grinding, miserable part of it.

There will be days of flooding, and it may take a long time for the water to drain away.

A commenter said that there are a lot of channels in flat Florida for floodwater to find its way the sea. But this article suggests it will take a while.

Much attention has focused on Hurricane Ian's storm surge flooding coastal areas of Florida, setting records in coastal areas like Fort Myers and Naples.

But the National Hurricane Center warned in an advisory Wednesday that "widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flash and urban flooding, with major to record flooding along rivers, is expected to continue across central Florida" -- damage that will last after the storm moves away.

...

The panhandle and Tampa Bay area's surface waterways are sloped, but Central Florida is flatter. Add to that the ground is already saturated at this point in the rainy season.

Threat level: Even when the rain ends, that doesn't mean the flooding will, Grimsley said.

What we're watching: Smaller, urban streams tend to "react and flood very quickly," but larger rivers take longer to build up and flood -- and then are equally slow to recede.

"The hurricane moves on here in the next day or two, hopefully," Grimsely said. But "flooding could continue for a week or more."

Ron DeSantis talked about the storm and the clean-up effort that is being prepared, including 42,000 linemen ready to go in and repair phone and power lines, which he called "the biggest logistical effort in the history of the state."

He said this is "clearly" the most massive flood damage the state has ever sustained.

He thanked leaders in 26 states for sending support and materiel to help.

Florida seems as prepared as possible for this storm, though we can expect the vicious left to claim otherwise.

The sheriff of Lee County claims that there are fatalities "in the hundreds" and that this has been "confirmed." But in another statement, he says these fatalities are "likely."

DeSantis says those deaths are not confirmed, and that what is being referred to are 911 calls about people in danger, but not necessarily in grave danger nor necessarily dead. He says there have only been two confirmed deaths and even those are not confirmed to be caused by the storm, though they're assumed to be.

Prayers for the Florida contingent of the Horde.

Meanwhile, the left is routing for deaths.

The Blue Tick seal of quality:

Florida Man knows how to answer these repulsive leftwing nightghouls:

posted by Ace at 12:02 PM

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