Some perspective on Ian and how close, once again, a disaster not seen since the Galveston storm
was averted. The area from Punta Gorda down to Naples that took the brunt of the storm surge from this storm is fairly densely populated. There are barrier islands that offer some protection from a storm like Ian.
There are 5 times as many people in Pinellas county FL as the area that took the brunt of Ian. The land elevation of Pinellas county is almost the same as the areas hit yesterday. It has barrier islands like they do down there. When you start seeing pictures of the devastation that will surely start coming out later today try and think if the original forecast would've transpired.
I lived on Indian Rocks Beach for 14 years. I was there when Elena just set out in the gulf and beat the shit out us for 3 days, never made landfall anywhere close. We had 9 feet of water. The storm of the Century caused the worst flooding in Pinellas county in nearly 80 years.
It's going to happen. 1 million people, a third live in mobile homes, and 3 ways out. It's going to happen.