#22 Postby Storminole » Wed Aug 11, 2004 6:58 pm
One factor for concern in SW Florida is the long span in time since the last landfalling hurricane there, that being Donna in Sept. 1960. Prior to Donna (and her 92 mph peak sustained winds), Fort Myers had averaged one hurricane every 12 years; since then it's gone 44 years without. The closest call in recent years was a westbound Andrew passing a hundred miles to the south in '92. But how long can a lucky streak last?
In the last four decades, millions of folks from northern states have settled in SW Florida. If Charley comes calling, for them--and all but the older natives (a tiny minority)--it will be their first experience with a hurricane.
My personal concern is whether the folks there, including millions of the elderly, will appreciate what a storm surge can do. Fort Myers has the mile-wide Caloosahatchee River coming in from the Gulf--a virtual multi-lane freeway for water. I used to live there, and witnessed flooding 15 miles inland from a mere passing tropical depression in '82. I wonder how many inland residents of that area--prepared for the wind though not having experienced it--have no idea that they might have water gushing into their homes.
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