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☆ Florida: Category 3 Hurricane Idalia threatens to hit state as an even stronger storm Wednesday, and conditions are already deteriorating
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Nouran Salahieh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It could be the first major hurricane at Category 3 or stronger to hit the Big Bend region. ET, with sustained winds 120 mph winds that are projected to grow stronger as it approaches the state, the hurricane center said. Tampa, well south of the projected landfall area, was also bracing for Idalia’s wrath and seeing storm surge beginning to flood streets Tuesday. • Much of Florida under state of emergency: DeSantis has issued an emergency declaration to 49 of 67 Florida counties. “Idalia is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina on Wednesday,” the hurricane center said Tuesday evening.

Persons: Idalia, “, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, ” DeSantis, ” Perry, Lee Bercaw, ” Bercaw, Jamie Rhome, Mayor Heath Davis, Levy, •, Florida won’t, “ Idalia Organizations: CNN, National Guard, National Hurricane Center, Fort Myers, National Weather Service, Florida, Florida Gov, Big, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Tampa Police, Mayor, Florida Gulf, • Travel, Tampa International Airport, Pete, Clearwater International, •, Guard, Pasadena Hospital, HCA, HCA Florida Trinity West Hospital, HCA Florida West Tampa Hospital, Tampa General Hospital, Florida Department of Corrections, Carolinas, North Carolina Locations: Florida’s, Big Bend, Bend, Cedar Key , Florida, Madeira Beach, Fort, Fort Myers Beach, Tallahassee, Apalachee, Panhandle, Taylor, Florida, Idalia’s, Perry, Tampa, Florida Gulf Coast, Alachua, Baker, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Madison , Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Pasco , Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Suwannee, Sumter, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, HCA Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North, North Carolina

☆ 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

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

☆ Watch: Streets Flood in Fort Myers Beach as Hurricane Idalia Nears Florida
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Why Banned Cotton From China Is So Hard to Keep Out of the U.S. The U.S. has banned many cotton imports from China over concerns it is harvested by forced labor in Xinjiang. We unpack the complexity of the supply chain to explain why experts believe much of the cotton is still making its way to the U.S. Photo illustration: Nayon Cho

Persons: Nayon Cho Organizations: U.S, The Locations: China, The U.S, Xinjiang

☆ How does Storm Idalia compare to the most powerful hurricanes in US history?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here is a list of some of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the mainland U.S. based on minimum atmospheric pressure, which scientists use to rate storm intensity. A lower pressure, measured in millibars, or mb, means a more powerful storm. UNNAMED FLORIDA KEYS HURRICANE, LABOR DAY 1935 (892 MB)The hurricane struck the Florida Keys as a Category 5 storm, the highest ranking on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. After ravaging the Keys, the storm moved north off the western coast of Florida before turning inland. Ian almost hit as a Category 5 storm, with the wind speed falling just short of the threshold of 157 mph (252 km).

Persons: Ian, Marco Bello, Idalia, Florida . HURRICANE CAMILLE, Camille, MICHAEL, Michael, HURRICANE KATRINA, HURRICANE ANDREW, Andrew, HURRICANE IAN, Hurricane Ian, Rich McKay, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, National Hurricane Center, Florida Panhandle, U.S, HURRICANE, Texas Gulf, Hurricane, Thomson Locations: Fort Myers Beach , Florida, U.S, Florida, Florida , Georgia, Carolinas, FLORIDA, Florida . HURRICANE, Mississippi's Gulf, Central America, HURRICANE, New Orleans, South Miami, Dade County, TEXAS GULF, Texas, Texas Gulf Coast, Indianola, Galveston, Atlanta

☆ Idalia is expected to rapidly intensify in the extremely warm Gulf of Mexico. Here’s what that means
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Mike Lang/USA Today Network Workers and residents clear debris from a destroyed bar in Fort Myers on Saturday, October 1. Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in Fort Myers Beach on Thursday. Wilfredo Lee/AP Jake Moses and Heather Jones explore a section of destroyed businesses in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Thursday. Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters Frederic and Mary Herodet board up their Gulf Bistro restaurant in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Tuesday. Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach on September 24.

Persons: Ian —, Idalia, ” Brian McNoldy, Allison Wing, Florida State University . Hurricane Franklin, ”, Wing, ” McNoldy, Andrew Kruczkiewicz, Kruczkiewicz, Ricardo Arduengo, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Hurricane, Evan Vucci, Greg Guidi, Thomas Bostic, Joe Raedle, Win McNamee, Stephanie Fopiano, Kenya Taylor, Mike Lang, Giorgio Viera, Jonathan Drake, Candy Miller, Ana Kapel, Amy Beth Bennett, Meg Kinnard, Shannon Stapleton, Steve Helber, Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentintel, Alex Brandon, Jim Watson, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Bob Levitt, Thomas Cordy, Wilfredo Lee, Jake Moses, Heather Jones, Douglas R, Clifford, Tom, Jonathan Strong, Kylie Dodd, Brenda Brennan, Sean Rayford, John Raoux, Stefanie Karas, ZUMA, Ian, Marco Bello, Ben Hendren, Pedro, Reuters Melvin Phillips, Crystal Vander, Bryan R, Smith, Hurricane Ian, Greg Lovett, Stephen M, Dowell, Zuram Rodriguez, Joe Cavaretta, Crews, Ramon Espinosa, Yamil Lage, Chris O'Meara, Maria Llonch, Willie J, Allen Jr, Alexandre Meneghini, Reuters Frederic, Mary Herodet, Pete, Adalberto Roque, Phelan M, Ryan Copenhaver, Siesta, Gregg Newton, Cathie Perkins, Martha Asencio, Sarah Peterson, Andrew West, ” Kruczkiewicz, McNoldy, you’re Organizations: CNN, National Hurricane Center, University of Miami, “, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Florida State University . Hurricane, Columbia Climate School, Columbia University, Getty, Fort Myers, Venice High, USA Today Network Workers, Reuters, South Florida Sun, AP, US Army National Guard, AP University of Central, Bloomberg, Texas, Force, USA, Tampa Bay Times, Zuma Workers, Orange County Government, An, AP Vehicles, NOAA, NASA, City, Naples Police, Anadolu Agency, Punta Gorda, El, El Nuevo Herald, TNS, Officials, Orlando Sentinel, AP Highways, Wednesday, Sentinel, AP People, Southwest, Tampa International Airport, Bistro, Vehicle, Kennedy Space Center, International, Costco, ZUMA Press, Hurricanes Locations: Gulf of Mexico, Florida, Matlacha , Florida, AFP, Fort Myers , Florida, Island , Florida, Fort, Fort Myers Beach, Kenya, North Port, Venice , Florida, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, South Florida, Quarterman, North Charleston , South Carolina, North Port , Florida, Sanibel, AP University of Central Florida, Orlando , Florida, Orlando, Charleston , South Carolina, New Smyrna Beach , Florida, Cape Coral , Florida, Palm Beach County , Florida, Fort Myers Beach , Florida, Naples , Florida, Orange County , Florida, Orange County, Punta Gorda , Florida, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte , Florida, Captiva, Port Charlotte, Iona , Florida, Bonita Springs , Florida, An Orlando, Sanibel , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Punta, Tampa, Roberts, El Nuevo, Stuart , Florida, Tampa Bay, Delray Beach , Florida, The, Hurricane, Pembroke Pines , Florida, Davie , Florida, Havana, Cuba, Batabano, Pinar del Rio, St, Pete Beach , Florida, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Cuban, Fanguito, Sarasota , Florida, Havana Bay, Kissimmee, Pinellas County , Florida, Augusta , Georgia, Columbia, South Carolina

☆ The looming crisis that's going to crush homeowners from coast to coast
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Taylor Dorrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

To maintain profitability, insurance companies have to take in more in monthly premium payments from customers than they pay out in damage claims. This has prompted insurance companies to back out of certain markets or pressure states to raise caps on premiums. Without robust rate caps such as those in California, insurance costs have risen by over 200% while DeSantis has been in office. He also signed legislation in December that protects insurance companies from liability claims and disincentivizes homeowners from filing claims to begin with. Despite these policies, insurance prices have continued to go up and insurers have continued to flee the market.

Persons: Cinda Larimer, Larimer's, Larimer, Anthony Roach, Larimer's who's, I've, Roach, Chubb, Justin Sullivan, Benjamin Keys, Anita Waters, Waters, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Desantis, Hurricane Ian, Dale, Deb Weideling, they've, Keys, Philip Mulder, Jeffrey Greenberg, Jeff Goodell, Xavier Cortada, I'm, Cortada, we're, Betsy, Cinda Larimer wasn't, , haven't, Taylor Dorrell Organizations: Navy, Insurance, Rush, Allstate, American International Group, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, US Army Corps of Engineers, . Farmers Insurance, AAA, Washington Post, National Bureau of Economic Research, US Treasury, Universal, Getty, Miami, Dakotas, Nationwide, Penn, National Flood Insurance, FAIR, Bay Area Locations: Paradise , California, Paradise, Sacramento, California, , California, . State, Florida, South Carolina, South Florida, Fort Myers Beach, Hurricane, In Miami, States, Louisiana , Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Coast, Minnesota, Midwest, Bay, Columbus , Ohio

☆ Rapid intensification, explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Jennifer Gray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

So as the climate crisis forces up ocean temperatures, rapid intensification becomes more likely, pushing storms to explode at a rapid pace into deadly hurricanes, scientists say. Mike Lang/USA Today Network Workers and residents clear debris from a destroyed bar in Fort Myers on Saturday, October 1. Thomas Cordy/The Palm Beach Post/USA Today Network This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in Fort Myers Beach on Thursday. Wilfredo Lee/AP Jake Moses and Heather Jones explore a section of destroyed businesses in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Thursday. Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire Sarah Peterson fills sandbags in Fort Myers Beach on September 24.

Persons: ”, Phil Klotzbach, Klotzbach, ” Klotzbach, Ricardo Arduengo, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Hurricane, Evan Vucci, Greg Guidi, Thomas Bostic, Joe Raedle, Win McNamee, Stephanie Fopiano, Kenya Taylor, Mike Lang, Giorgio Viera, Jonathan Drake, Candy Miller, Ana Kapel, Amy Beth Bennett, Meg Kinnard, Shannon Stapleton, Steve Helber, Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentintel, Alex Brandon, Jim Watson, Eva Marie Uzcategui, Bob Levitt, Thomas Cordy, Wilfredo Lee, Jake Moses, Heather Jones, Douglas R, Clifford, Tom, Jonathan Strong, Kylie Dodd, Brenda Brennan, Sean Rayford, John Raoux, Stefanie Karas, ZUMA, Ian, Marco Bello, Ben Hendren, Pedro, Reuters Melvin Phillips, Crystal Vander, Bryan R, Smith, Hurricane Ian, Greg Lovett, Stephen M, Dowell, Zuram Rodriguez, Joe Cavaretta, Crews, Ramon Espinosa, Yamil Lage, Chris O'Meara, Maria Llonch, Willie J, Allen Jr, Alexandre Meneghini, Reuters Frederic, Mary Herodet, Pete, Adalberto Roque, Phelan M, Ryan Copenhaver, Siesta, Gregg Newton, Cathie Perkins, Martha Asencio, Sarah Peterson, Andrew West, Ida, Laura, Hurricane Dorian Organizations: CNN, of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, North Atlantic, Getty, Fort Myers, Venice High, USA Today Network Workers, Reuters, South Florida Sun, AP, US Army National Guard, AP University of Central, Bloomberg, Texas, Force, USA, Tampa Bay Times, Zuma Workers, Orange County Government, An, AP Vehicles, NOAA, NASA, City, Naples Police, Anadolu Agency, Punta Gorda, El, El Nuevo Herald, TNS, Officials, Orlando Sentinel, AP Highways, Wednesday, Sentinel, AP People, Southwest, Tampa International Airport, Bistro, Vehicle, Kennedy Space Center, International, Costco, ZUMA Press, Louisiana, Simpson Locations: North, Matlacha , Florida, AFP, Fort Myers , Florida, Island , Florida, Fort, Fort Myers Beach, Kenya, North Port, Venice , Florida, Fort Myers, Myrtle Beach , South Carolina, South Florida, Quarterman, North Charleston , South Carolina, North Port , Florida, Sanibel, Florida, AP University of Central Florida, Orlando , Florida, Orlando, Charleston , South Carolina, New Smyrna Beach , Florida, Cape Coral , Florida, Palm Beach County , Florida, Fort Myers Beach , Florida, Naples , Florida, Orange County , Florida, Orange County, Punta Gorda , Florida, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte , Florida, Captiva, Port Charlotte, Iona , Florida, Bonita Springs , Florida, An Orlando, Sanibel , Florida, Tampa , Florida, Punta, Tampa, Roberts, El Nuevo, Stuart , Florida, Tampa Bay, Delray Beach , Florida, The, Hurricane, Pembroke Pines , Florida, Davie , Florida, Havana, Cuba, Batabano, Pinar del Rio, St, Pete Beach , Florida, Cape Canaveral , Florida, Cuban, Fanguito, Sarasota , Florida, Havana Bay, Kissimmee, Pinellas County , Florida, Bahamas

☆ 2023 Hurricane Season Predicted to Be Below Average After a Costly 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Fort Myers Beach, Fla., is rebuilding after being hit by Hurricane Ian in September. This year’s Atlantic hurricane season will likely bring fewer storms than average, scientists said—offering a potential respite for coastal locales after a costly 2022—though they cautioned the forecast is less certain than usual because it is complicated by El Niño. Researchers at Colorado State University’s Department of Atmospheric Science anticipate 13 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes in 2023, according to a forecast released Thursday. A typical hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, results in 14 named storms, seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

☆ A hidden time bomb? A 'Big Short' investor sees financial disaster brewing in housing markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Josh Edelson | Afp | Getty ImagesMore than a decade after a U.S. mortgage meltdown threatened to destroy the international financial system, a "Big Short" investor once again sees financial disaster brewing in the real estate market. Now, Burt believes an overlooked climate risk could see history repeating itself. U.S. housing market overvalued? watch now"The biggest reason why it matters from our perspective is that climate risk isn't being priced into the housing market," Jeremy Porter, head of climate implications at First Street Foundation, told CNBC. 'A humanitarian crisis'Far from a domestic issue, Burt stressed the climate risks associated with the U.S. housing market posed a major problem for countries worldwide.

☆ The medical 'heroes' who help save the lives of kidney-dialysis patients when massive storms hit the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

One in 500 Americans is on kidney dialysis. The hurricane meant that she could not get kidney dialysis for seven days. Like many dialysis patients, Brigham needed treatment every three days to replace the function of normal kidneys. Dialysis patients need their blood cleared through this procedure. We take other providers' patients, we take hospital patients, they take ours, we share supplies, we share generators, we share water," Dittrich said.

☆ Biden doubles down on needling Republicans over proposed Social Security and Medicare cuts: 'I'm your nightmare'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Warren Rojas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"I guess I shouldn't say any more," he said, "but particularly on Social Security and Medicare." Rubio, who is in the rumored mix for the 2024 GOP nomination, said anybody who supports slashing Social Security or Medicare is delusional. "You have to listen to what the president said the last couple of years about protecting and fighting for Medicare and Social Security." "I've never ever said I would reduce Medicare or Social Security benefits. As for Social Security, its trust funds are expected to be insolvent by 2035, which would trigger 20% in cuts across the board.

☆ 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.

☆ Hurricane Ian was the costliest disaster and the second-largest insured loss on record after Hurricane Katrina
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Remains of destroyed restaurants, shops and other businesses are seen almost one month after Hurricane Ian landfall in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, U.S., October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Marco BelloHurricane Ian, a category 4 Atlantic hurricane that struck Florida and South Carolina earlier this year, was the costliest catastrophe and the second-largest insured loss on record after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according to a new report from reinsurer Swiss Re. Ian caused between $50 billion and 65 billion in insured damages after it made landfall in western Florida in late September with extreme winds and torrential rain. Insurance losses from catastrophes were also high, with estimated damages of $115 billion, higher than the 10-year average of $81 billion, the report said. Insured losses from extreme weather events have been rising as climate change triggers more frequent and destructive hurricanes, floods and wildfires, the reinsurance firm 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.

☆ Factbox: COP27: Counting the rising cost of climate disasters
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

How to get money to poorer countries after climate disasters has been a dominant theme at the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, and insurance is seen as one way to do that. On Monday, a G7-led plan dubbed "Global Shield" to provide pre-arranged insurance and disaster protection funding to countries suffering climate disasters was launched at the climate conference. Worst fires: Tubbs Fire Oct 2017, Camp Fire Nov 20182017 loss: $180 billion2017 deaths: 402018 loss: $148.5 billion2018 deaths: 103Total loss: $328.5 billion2. Harvey loss: $125 billionHarvey deaths: 88Irma loss: $65 billionIrma deaths: 134Maria loss: $107 billionMaria deaths: 4,600Total loss: $297 billion3. Hurricane Ian, Florida, Sept 2022The hurricane hit southwestern Florida and South Carolina, with a 4-metre high storm surge on the west coast of Florida.

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.

☆ Less ‘Joe,’ More ‘Mr. President’
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Fay Vincent | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

There he was, on the hurricane-ravaged streets of Fort Myers Beach, Fla., the president of the United States, saying: No one effs with a Biden. I don’t use quotation marks because he used an unprintable word my mother taught me is “vulgar.”In ancient Rome, where formal Latin was spoken only by the educated class and written by the likes of Cicero, the street language was called the “vulgate” because it was the common tongue. By the fourth century, there was even a Bible translation in the vulgate.

The eight people trapped in the Hideaway Village motel realized that they may die as geysers shot up through the buckling floors and the deadbolts holding their doors shut snapped like toothpicks under Hurricane Ian’s assault. After the motel crashed and the roof above the women gave way, a motel employee next door pulled them out of the water. The wrecking of the Hideaway Village motel, pieced together through interviews with survivors, reveals how the storm’s death count could have easily been much higher than 135 people, according to an NBC News tally. Hurricane Ian tore the roof off the Hideaway Village motel. But on Sept. 27, the women arrived at the Hideaway Village motel, full of energy, under the impression that the storm’s threats were overstated, Maston said.

☆ U.S. Treasury proposes climate data collection rule for insurers
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Destroyed buildings are seen after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction, in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, U.S., October 4, 2022. The Treasury's Federal Insurance Office said in a Federal Register notice that it was seeking public comment on the proposal, under which it would collect current and historical underwriting data on homeowners’ insurance. The zip-code level data would provide the insurance office with "consistent, granular, and comparable insurance data needed to help assess the potential for major disruptions of private insurance coverage in regions of the country that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change." Treasury said the proposed data collection rule would help the Federal Insurance Office to assess both the availability of insurance for millions of Americans as well as the affordability of such insurance. “Today’s action by the Federal Insurance Office is an important step in determining how Americans are being affected by the increasing costs of climate change,” Yellen said in a statement.

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla.—Trixie Parkes’s 1976 wood-framed cottage long served as her home and main source of income, because she rented two units on the top floor to tourists. But when Hurricane Ian tore through in late September, it destroyed most of the first floor and gouged a gaping hole in the second-floor walls. She didn’t have flood insurance, which she said became too expensive after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Ms. Parkes, 59, plans to sell her property. “Maybe somebody will come and offer me a lot of money and I can walk away.”

☆ After Hurricane Ian, Salvage Firm Pulls Yachts Out of Swimming Pools and Mangrove Trees
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Peter Grant | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

An aerial view of damage from Hurricane Ian in Florida’s Fort Myers Beach seen last week. Heather O’Brien makes a living rescuing small boats and yachts in the waters near Fort Myers, Fla. Since Hurricane Ian, she has been busy. On a typical weekend this time of year, Ms. O’Brien might get a dozen or so calls for help, mostly from locals who need a tow because their boat ran out of gas or their battery was depleted. After Ian, she received more than 2,000 calls, many of a much more serious nature.

☆ Beware, Florida homeowners. The worst is yet to come.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Dan Latu | James Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

They were paying $750 a month for the lot in a mobile-home park and couldn't fathom paying $7,200 a year for homeowners insurance, let alone additional protections for floods. (Flood insurance costs an average of more than $600 a year in Florida and can stretch even higher in high-risk areas.) But just 57% of those homes are covered by flood insurance, a Bank of America analysis of data from CoreLogic and the National Flood Insurance Program found. Some owners may not even know that they need a separate insurance policy for flooding, assuming it's covered by their homeowners insurance. Roughly a dozen firms that provide homeowners insurance in Florida have gone under in the past two years, The Washington Post reported.

☆ Damages in Florida from Hurricane Ian could total $47 billion. Here's how to protect your personal finances from natural disasters
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-03 | by ( Stephanie Dhue Sharon Epperson | Stephanie Dhue | Sharon Epperson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Prepare for insurance claimsIf you're going to file an insurance claim, inventory the damage before you start cleaning up. Keep a written record of the name of everyone you talk to about your claim, including the date of the conversation and summary of what was said. Coverage for floods requires a separate policy, either from the federally based National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer. There is a 30-day waiting period before flood coverage is effective. Flood insurance for autos is an option under the comprehensive portion of a policy.

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