As Hurricane Ian death toll rises, officials in Lee County, home to 45 deaths, are put on the defensive
Brad Lambert, who spent a harrowing day trying to escape Ian’s fury while floodwaters rose in his mobile home near the Caloosahatchee River and the Sanibel Causeway, readily admitted he and his wife made the wrong call.
“Lots of us locals who have been here for years and years and years, we know when it’s time to go," Murphy said.Andrea Melendez, Fort Myers News-Press Regardless of when an evacuation order is issued, many chose to stay, experts said. Some do so because while they trust the forecasts, they somehow believe they will be spared.
In Florida, he said, people’s obsession with wind is rooted in Hurricane Andrew. The 1992 storm that packed winds of 174 mph turned neighborhoods in Miami-Dade County into rubble and killed 65 people.While a 2014 study by the National Hurricane Center debunked that widely-held fear, few paid attention.
“There were a lot of drownings,” said Mark Glass, who as commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement oversees the board that determines causes of death.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sanibel Island, Fort Myers severely damaged by Hurricane Ian in Lee CountyAreas within Lee County, including Sanibel Island and Fort Myers, are facing major damage in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Read more »
Rumors, 'disaster sight-seers' slow Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in Lee CountyBetween rumors that the county is trying to 'starve' people off Pine Island to drone pilots trying to get a look at areas devastated by Hurricane Ian, rescue and relief crews are having a hard time getting critical aid to those who need it.
Read more »
FEMA head defends Lee County, Florida officials' Hurricane Ian prep: Storm was 'very unpredictable'FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell reacted to a report that Lee County, Florida officials delayed Hurricane Ian evacuations, calling the storm 'very unpredictable.'
Read more »
Florida's top emergency official defends Lee County on delayed evacuations before Hurricane Ian made landfallFlorida's top emergency administrator defends local response to Hurricane Ian amid growing criticism of Lee County officials who were allegedly slow to evacuate.
Read more »
Fort Myers mayor says county acted 'appropriately' with evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane IanThe mayor of Fort Myers, FL, one of the areas hit the hardest by Hurricane Ian last week, defended the timing of evacuation orders given by Lee County officials as the storm neared the southwestern region of the state, saying they 'acted appropriately.'
Read more »