Folks have no idea how bad Ian was. I've lived on Pine Island and Cape Coral since 1996 but happened to be in Austin when this came. I can't go down there now - it's too devastated. My inlaws house on Carambola in St James City had Gulf of Mexico waves going over the top of it.
It just took a weird turn right into the islands and then sat there for 8 hours. That as many homes survived those winds is testament to Cape Coral and Lee County having strictest building codes in the country. Anything older than 2005 got damage.
It wasnt worse than two of the worst hurriIcane disasters in US History. How can you compare Ian to the destruction in Homestead, which was wiped off the map, and New Orleans? I have family in Punta Gorda. My mom ate dinner as the eye passed over. My Aunt said this was the same as Charlie a few years ago that went over the same area. Her house had more damage from Charlie than Ian.
All of Charley could fit in the eye of Ian. It's not just me saying Ian was worse than Katrina. It was a guard guy who was at both and I posted the link. Officially, Ian is ranked as the 4th worse in the county's history. Punta Gorda is not Sanibel, FM Beach, Pine Island, or Matlacha. The comparison is unfair - your folks in PG weren't in the eye and probably not on the coast if they didn't lose power.
Your Aunt had more damage in Charley because it came onshore in PG. Ian came onshore in Lee County, not Charlotte County. The damage is very comparable to Andrew. People had more warning with Andrew though.
It was worse than Katrina and possibly Andrew too.
Speaking about Pine Island (Lee County) specifically, “I did response after Katrina,” said Julian Bell, chief warrant officer for the Coast Guard. “This is worse.”
https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022/10/03/he-survived-ian-pine-island-then-his-relative-lost-contact/
Folks have no idea how bad Ian was. I've lived on Pine Island and Cape Coral since 1996 but happened to be in Austin when this came. I can't go down there now - it's too devastated. My inlaws house on Carambola in St James City had Gulf of Mexico waves going over the top of it.
It just took a weird turn right into the islands and then sat there for 8 hours. That as many homes survived those winds is testament to Cape Coral and Lee County having strictest building codes in the country. Anything older than 2005 got damage.
It wasnt worse than two of the worst hurriIcane disasters in US History. How can you compare Ian to the destruction in Homestead, which was wiped off the map, and New Orleans? I have family in Punta Gorda. My mom ate dinner as the eye passed over. My Aunt said this was the same as Charlie a few years ago that went over the same area. Her house had more damage from Charlie than Ian.
All of Charley could fit in the eye of Ian. It's not just me saying Ian was worse than Katrina. It was a guard guy who was at both and I posted the link. Officially, Ian is ranked as the 4th worse in the county's history. Punta Gorda is not Sanibel, FM Beach, Pine Island, or Matlacha. The comparison is unfair - your folks in PG weren't in the eye and probably not on the coast if they didn't lose power.
Your Aunt had more damage in Charley because it came onshore in PG. Ian came onshore in Lee County, not Charlotte County. The damage is very comparable to Andrew. People had more warning with Andrew though.