Ironweed Entrained: Hurricane Ian

The view from my lanai at 8am on Wednesday. I hope to have the same view - with blue skies - once the storm has gone.

I believe I'm as prepared for this storm as I can be. I have determined that I'm not as prepared as I could be for the behaviour of my neighbours during this storm. I am calm and relaxed, continuing to work while I still have power ... but the phone calls, texts, and visits have been incessant as they want to alleviate their nervousness. I'm an introvert (specifically, an INTJ). I'm a caring individual … but there are reasons I do logistics when I deploy with Team Rubicon on disaster ops; give me inanimate objects any day!

It could be worse; I could have had hurricane buddy plans cancelled by a positive Covid test, as happened to a friend. Yes, Covid is still around - and I wonder what that means for those in the shelters.

I received a mid-morning call from Frank; I helped him pack on Monday so that he could evacuate to his sister’s home. He called me from the road ... on the way across the state to Fort Pierce! Like I don’t have enough to worry about!

Frank doesn't scare easily, but I know he is 'scarred,’ for want of a better word, by his experience with hurricane Andrew. Frank spent a good portion of his career as the Building Official in various municipalities across Florida. He was involved in inspections and cleanup after hurricane Andrew and helped rewrite the Florida building codes afterwards. He views hurricanes through a different lens than many of us. This storm is making him uncomfortable – but, he feels that I should be ok where I am, sheltering in place instead of the evacuation shelter. His reasoning is that the upper floors of my building may suffer wind damage, which may add to any water damage and flooding in my ground floor home. But, I also live close to a grocery store, and right off a main road. No matter what damage is sustained locally, he believes that my general location – although not my subdivision – will he high on the list of places to be restored asap. We shall see what the storm brings.

"This storm may be like Charley in landfall location, but with a size up to four times larger. Wednesday and Thursday will be a hard, long days." (Meteorologist Dan Henry, 5am, Sept 28).

It’s 10.45am and the winds are picking up. But, I still have power - unlike friends in Fort Myers.

I love my job, but I miss being in the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) during a storm..

I think I can turn off the storm tracker app on my cellphone!

Still my favourite photo of the police