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☆ The vast majority of California flood victims’ losses won’t be covered by insurance
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Story highlights Less than 1% of homes in the affected area have flood insurance LA has over 10 million residents but fewer than 15,000 flood insurance policies Federal flood insurance covers $250,000 worth of damageThe typical homeowners’ policy won’t cover loss from flood damage. That is covered by the National Flood Insurance Program, a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Even some of those with flood insurance could find their policies won’t cover all of their losses. Homeowners can buy excess flood insurance coverage to match the limits of coverage on their homeowners policies, but many do not bother to do so. The NFIP estimates that more than 40% of NFIP flood insurance claims come from outside the high-risk flood zones.

Persons: Lee Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Flood Insurance, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Southern, Bureau, Fort Myers, Homeowners Locations: New York, California, Florida, Southern California, Angeles County, Lee County , Florida, Fort, United States

☆ How to Track a Hurricane
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Judson Jones | More About Judson Jones | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hurricane Idalia continued to build strength over the Gulf of Mexico’s abnormally warm waters on Tuesday, taking aim at a vulnerable but sparsely populated portion of Florida’s coastline known as the Big Bend, where the peninsula curves west into the Panhandle. My colleagues and I on The Times’s Weather desk just redesigned our hurricane tracker with detailed information about the storm’s path and severity. In today’s newsletter, I’m going to tell you how best to track a hurricane’s progress, especially if you’re in its path. But people often misinterpret these maps, thinking they’ll be safe if they live just outside the cone, for example. Nearly a year ago, officials in Florida’s Lee County saw they were on the edge of the cone of uncertainty for Hurricane Ian and delayed an order to evacuate, with devastating consequences.

Persons: Idalia, they’ll, Hurricane Ian Locations: Bend, Tallahassee, Tampa, Florida’s Lee

Ian killed 75 people in Lee County, nearly half of the statewide death toll of 149, officials said. At that point, the National Hurricane Center flagged the possibility of a storm surge covering much of Cape Coral and Fort Myers. Parts of Fort Myers Beach had a 40 percent chance of a six-foot-high storm surge, according to the surge forecasts. In Lee County officials said they were waiting to make an assessment the next morning. Officials expanded their evacuation order later in the morning, and by the middle of the afternoon, Lee County officials were more urgent in their recommendation.

Persons: Ian, Lee County, Ron DeSantis, Lee, Fort Myers, ” Organizations: National Hurricane Service, National Hurricane Center, Fort Myers, Facebook Locations: Florida, Tampa, Fort Myers, Lee County, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, State, Coral, Fort, Cape Coral, Neighboring Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Charlotte, Sarasota County, Lee

☆ Ron DeSantis faces new leadership test as Hurricane Idalia barrels toward Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —With the eyes of the country on Hurricane Idalia as it spins toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential ambitions are also under the spotlight as he puts his campaign on hold to manage the crisis at home. The Florida governor is also staving off a field of GOP contenders, who must now also balance sensitivities around Hurricane Idalia with their attempts to overcome DeSantis in the polls. DeSantis has also asserted that he could send his “Florida people” to the southern border to build a wall. “The governor of our state of Florida has created an environment ripe for this.”

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ” DeSantis, Ian, Republican Rick Scott, Hurricane Michael, Bill Nelson, Scott, Jeb Bush, George W, Bush, Chris Christie, Christie, “, ”, Alex Conant, Florida Sen, Marco Rubio’s, Andrew Romeo, ” Romeo, Hurricane Ian, Joe Biden –, Biden, Joe Biden, Saul Young, Donald Trump, Todd Belt, Angie Nixon Organizations: CNN, Gulf Coast , Florida Gov, Republican, White, Hurricane, US, GOP Gov, GOP, Knoxville News Sentinel, George Washington University, Democrats, Trump, ” Democratic, Jacksonville Locations: Gulf Coast , Florida, Tallahassee, Iowa, Florida, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Fort Myers Beach , Florida, Lee County, Florida’s Big, Jacksonville, DeSantis

☆ Black Lung Disease Is Making A Comeback With Coal Miners - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Drew A. Harris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

By the age of 44, Mr. Hoskins was diagnosed with his own case of the most severe form of black lung. Last year we cared for over 500 former coal miners with the most severe form of black lung, a record for the clinic’s 32-year history. By the end of the last century, thanks, in part, to federal safety standards, severe black lung had nearly been eliminated. But with changes in technology and conditions in coal mines in central Appalachia, cases of severe black lung disease are back to the highest level in decades after the last major study, in 2018. As of that year, more than one-fifth of experienced Appalachian miners have black lung.

Persons: Denver Hoskins, Hoskins, Barbara Kingsolver’s Organizations: Cincinnati Reds, Division, Stone Mountain Health Services, Centers for Disease Control Locations: Kentucky, St, Charles, Va, Lee County, Appalachia —, Virginia , Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Appalachia

☆ Opinion | Barbara Kingsolver Thinks Urban Liberals Have It All Wrong on Appalachia
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +58 min

It’s like there’s no point in asking who started this because it’s a really, really old antagonism. I think that’s probably what’s most critical right now is that all of our entertainment, our news media, it’s all made in cities. And he’s really pretty horrible, and he doesn’t feed them enough, and that’s really sad. You’re going to have a flat tire, and the guy that pulls up to help you is going to tell your dad within minutes. It’s not like most books you’re going to see.

Persons: Ezra Klein, ezra klein, —, Hernan Diaz, Barbara Kingsolver, “ David Copperfield ”, Dickens, It’s, barbara kingsolver, you’ve, ezra klein We’re, Nobody, I’d, I’ve, Bobby Ann Mason’s, “, — Wendell Berry, Robert Penn Warren, James Still, Harriette, Taylor Greer, you’re, George Washington, ” he’s, — he’s, he’s, I’ll, They’re, George W, Bush, they’re, barbara kingsolver You’re, we’ve, That’s, that’s, I’m, ” barbara kingsolver, barbara kingsolver Oh, barbara kingsolver ezra klein barbara kingsolver, ezra klein Yes, we’re, Charles Dickens, “ David Copperfield, ”, Tommy, ” It’s, ezra klein There’s, barbara kingsolver There’s, Tommy Traddles, Tommy Waddles, who’s, He’s, We’re, Tommy’s, she’s, it’s, Beth Macy, overdosed, ” ezra klein, There’s, grandkids, they’ve, Dori, doesn’t, Peggot, Frances Goldin, Arwen Donahue, She’s, Beth Macy’s, Lazarus, Laline Paull, ezra klein Barbara Kingsolver Organizations: New York, Fiction, Trump, Nicholas County High School, DePauw University, Walmart, The New York Times, . Times, New York Times, Farmers, “, Knoxville —, Purdue Pharma, Purdue, aha, Scots Locations: Appalachia, It’s, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, U.S, exploitations, Congo, Caribbean, Indiana, Nicholas, Arizona, Europe, Tucson , Arizona, Tucson, Paris, Athens, France, “ Shiloh, MAGA, America, Brazil, Eastern Europe, There’s, California, New York, “, Tommy, Pennington, Knoxville, there’s, nove, Lee County, that’s Lee County, that’s, United States of America, who’s, New York City

☆ Fact Check-Image of Ron DeSantis in burger restaurant captured in May 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An image of Florida governor Ron DeSantis sitting across from former vice president Mike Pence in a burger restaurant was captured in May 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing measures in restaurants were still in place. Some shared the image of Pence sitting across from DeSantis with the false claim that it was captured ahead of former president Donald Trump’s rally in Iowa on May 14 (here). IOWA — Just ahead of Trump’s rally, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Mike Pence sit down to eat in the same state” (here). DeSantis lifted all remaining COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants in September 2020, months after the image of DeSantis and Pence was captured (here). The image of Pence and DeSantis dates to May 2020.

☆ Trump offered pizza to supporters in a Florida restaurant, asking: 'Does anybody want a piece that I've eaten?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Donald Trump stopped by a pizza restaurant in Fort Myers, Florida, after giving a speech. A video shows him offering a half-eaten slice of pepperoni pizza to supporters. Over 100 supporters rushed to see Trump as he stopped to get pizza, causing "pandemonium," according to local outlet Wink News. The former president stopped by the eaterie after giving a speech at the Lee County GOP's 2023 Lincoln-Reagan Dinner. The event included speeches from Rep. Greg Steube, Rep. Byron Donalds, and political operative Roger Stone.

☆ Florida Rep. Greg Steube out of hospital after accident at home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

SARASOTA, Fla. — A U.S. congressman from Florida who was seriously injured in a tree-trimming accident in Sarasota said Saturday he has been discharged from the hospital and is recovering at home. A separate tweet said then that he had spent the night in the ICU after sustaining several injuries that were serious but not life-threatening. Steube also thanked staffers at Sarasota Memorial Hospital on Saturday “for the excellent care” he received. Steube was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and just began his third term. He represents all of Sarasota and Charlotte counties and part of Lee County.

☆ Missing Hurricane Ian victim found dead on sunken sailboat months after storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The body of a Florida man who went missing during Hurricane Ian in September has been found on a sunken sailboat months after the storm. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday that Hurst's body had been found on a sunken sailboat, "Good Girl," that had been located by divers in Matanzas Pass in Fort Myers Beach. During efforts to recover the vessel, human remains were found on the boat, Marceno announced. Friday's discovery came just days after the body of an 82-year-old Florida woman who also went missing during Hurricane Ian was recovered on Tuesday. Knes had lived in Fort Myers Beach with her husband, who had previously been found dead, with the area being "completely destroyed" when the Category 4 storm hit Florida.

☆ 82-year-old Hurricane Ian victim found dead in Fort Myers Beach more than 3 months after storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Minyvonne Burke | Minyvonne Burke Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The body of an 82-year-old Florida woman who went missing in September during Hurricane Ian was recovered Tuesday, the Lee County Sheriff's Office said. A contract debris removal company cleaning an area near Fort Myers Beach found the remains of Ilonka Knes "deep within the mangroves," Sheriff Carmine Marceno said at a news conference Thursday. Lee County Sheriff's Office"These areas are impassable by boat and they’re not visible by the air," he said. Knes lived in Fort Myers Beach with her husband, who had previously been found dead. One man, James "Denny" Hurst, remains missing.

☆ Arkansas boy buried under floorboards allegedly died after mother's boyfriend drowned him in toilet bowl
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Blu's paternal grandmother, Karen Rolland, 57, told NBC News the boy would have been turning six last week. The body of Blu Rolland was discovered on what would have been his fifth birthday in his house in Moro, Ark. Karen told NBC News that the girl "could barely even walk" and that her clothes were soiled in urine. Ashley initially told Karen that Blu “was not at the residence,” according to Karen and the affidavit. Ashley appeared to give conflicting accounts of who buried the boy's body, according to the affidavit.

☆ Arkansas woman is arrested after her 6-year-old son is found dead under the floorboards of their home
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

An Arkansas woman and man have been arrested after authorities discovered the potentially months-old dead body of a 6-year-old boy beneath the floorboards of his home on Friday. Officials believe the boy "died from injuries sustained in the home, possibly three months ago," the statement said, adding that the state medical examiner will determine the cause of death. A representative for the state medical examiner could not immediately be reached. Authorities also found Rolland's 6-year-old daughter in the home with what they believe were burns to her scalp. The girl is receiving treatment for her injuries at a hospital in Memphis and is in stable condition, police said.

Lee County suffered none of the state’s 123 Irma deaths. That experience influenced many people’s decisions not to flee Hurricane Ian. “Hurricane Ian is going to be the strongest outreach messaging for southwest Florida ever,” said Gleason, the Charlotte County spokesman. “When you live through it, then that message sinks in deep and forever.”A view of the Matanzas Pass side of Estero Island, home to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Fort Myers Beach is expected to take years to rebuild. Thomas Simonetti for NBC NewsMichael Yost's two closest friends in Fort Myers Beach drowned in Hurricane Ian.

☆ A multimillion-dollar war against mosquitoes is underway in Florida after Hurricane Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

"The mosquitoes are out there, and they’re biting," said Eric Jackson, the deputy director of the Lee County Mosquito Control Division. The Lee County Mosquito Control District, a special district in one of the communities hit hardest by Ian, employs about 100 workers, Jackson said. Anne Askew, a biologist in the Lee County Mosquito Control District's Larviciding Department, uses a microscope to identify mosquito species. Lee County Mosquito Control DistrictIn Lee County, where Fort Myers is located, mosquito counts in the traps began to spike about a week after Ian. Florida officials don’t think federal help will be necessary, though Hurricane Ian’s damage has created challenges for mosquito control workers.

☆ Flesh-eating bacteria: What to know about Vibrio vulnificus, and how to avoid it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Vibrio vulnificus causes an estimated 80,000 illnesses and 100 deaths in the United States every year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vibrio vulnificus is one of the bacteria that can cause what’s commonly known as a flesh-eating infection. Vibrio vulnificus infection is the leading cause of death related to eating seafood in the United States. With skin infections, a doctor will first take samples from the infected area to determine if Vibrio vulnificus is what’s causing the problem. Up to 50% of Vibrio vulnificus infections don’t respond to certain antibiotics anymore, studies show.

Hours before Hurricane Ian decimated a small Fort Myers Beach marina, James “Denny” Hurst’s daughter sent him a panicked text. Lee County Sheriff's OfficeThe 72-year-old stayed put. More than 135 people have been confirmed dead by an NBC News count, and their families have begun holding funerals. Find the boat, you’ll find the body.”Ilonka Knes, 82, is one of three missing Lee County residents. Lee County Sheriff's Office“She wouldn’t have left him.

☆ Florida sees rise in flesh-eating bacterial infections
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Florida has seen an increase in cases of flesh-eating bacteria this year driven largely by a surge in the county hit hardest by Hurricane Ian. The state Department of Health reports that as of Friday there have been 65 cases of vibrio vulnificus infections and 11 deaths in Florida this year. In Lee County, where Ian stormed ashore last month, the health department reports 29 cases this year and four deaths. Lee County health officials earlier this month warned people that the post-hurricane environment — including warm, standing water — could pose a danger from the potentially deadly bacteria. People with open wounds should avoid such water and seek medical care immediately if an infection is apparent.

☆ Dangerous flesh-eating bacterial infections increased in Florida after Hurricane Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Carma Hassan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An increase in infections with a rare flesh-eating bacteria was reported in Florida in the days after Hurricane Ian due to catastrophic flooding from the storm. Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm on September 28 in Lee County, which includes Fort Myers and Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida. The Florida Department of Health in Lee County warned residents of the risks of Vibrio vulnificus on October 3. “DOH-Lee is observing an abnormal increase in cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections as a result of exposure to the flood waters and standing waters following Hurricane Ian. Since September 29, 2022, 26 cases of Vibrio vulnificus associated with Hurricane Ian have been reported to DOH-Lee.

Six-year-old Tahjir Burrowes wandered out of his Florida home on Oct. 5, wearing only a diaper and a T-shirt, and headed straight for a hurricane-flooded canal. His 17-year-old brother, Tahjon, knew something was wrong as soon as he got out of the bathroom and could not find his little brother anywhere. “Mom, mom, mom! Their mother, Lachera Burrowes, immediately jumped in her car and drove to the canal near their Lehigh home. Tahjon, left, and Tahjir Burrowes survey their Lehigh home, shortly after Hurricane Ian hit.

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, the living have struggled to account for all the dead. More than half of the victims drowned, the Florida Medical Examiners Commission has reported. A high-water vehicle with responders drives through a flooded neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in North Port, Fla., on Oct. 3. Precisely how many have died as a result of Hurricane Ian is a point of contention. “The communities hit by Hurricane Ian were places that have many new residents who had never experienced a major storm,” he said.

☆ 'Big Short' analyst says Florida home values could drop as much as 50% in some areas when markets factor in flood and storm costs from disasters like Hurricane Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-01 | by ( James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Floridians aren't paying enough for flood insurance, according to an analysis by DeltaTerra Capital. Home prices in some parts could fall by 50% when buyers realize the true costs of flood protection. Hurricane Ian left a trail of destruction across Florida, but the state's housing market has yet to feel the brunt of its impact. That's because flood insurance is poised to get much more expensive in high-risk areas as a result of Risk Rating 2.0 , the Federal Emergency Management Agency's updated method of pricing flooding risk for insurance policies held through the National Flood Insurance Program. It's not just a matter of how hurricane damage will affect a regional market, Burt said.

Hurricane Ian had weakened to a Category 1 late Wednesday, but the powerful storm that caused life-threatening storm surges, floods that stranded people in their homes and knocked out power to more than 2 million was not over, officials warned. At 2 a.m., Ian was around 55 miles southwest of Cape Canaveral and moving northeast at 9 mph, the hurricane center said. The storm is believed to be one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded making landfall in Florida. Central and northeast Florida could get 20 inches of rain, and life-threatening storm surge remained a risk for parts of Florida’s western and eastern coasts, the hurricane center said. But it then will likely turn north and approach the northeastern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts Friday, according to the hurricane center.

☆ Hurricane Ian downgraded to tropical storm as it continues to batter Florida
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Phil Helsel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A flooded street is seen in downtown as Hurricane Ian makes landfall in southwestern Florida, in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. September 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday morning, but officials have warned the powerful storm that brought life-threatening storm surges, floods that left people stranded in their homes and knocked out power to more than 2.5 million customers was not over. President Joe Biden on Thursday declared a major disaster in Florida over the devastation caused by the storm. By 5 a.m., Ian was around 55 miles southwest of Cape Canaveral and moving northeast at 9 mph, the hurricane center said. The storm is believed to be one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded making landfall in Florida.

Share this -Link copiedFloridians are livestreaming Hurricane Ian on TikTok Floridians are giving TikTok users a front-row seat to Hurricane Ian. Storm surge map, they didn’t have a color for 12 to 15 feet," he said about the historic levels of storm surge expected near where Ian is expected to make landfall. Share this -Link copiedA view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station A view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station, on Monday. Share this -Link copiedSatellite images show Hurricane Ian approaching Florida Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday. Share this -Link copiedIan expected to strengthen until making landfall, officials say Hurricane Ian is still forecast to strengthen until the hurricane makes landfall in Florida, the National Hurricane Center said.

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