While a hurricane in the southeast does not affect the city of Bloomington directly, one IU student saw the eye of a deadly storm approach her father’s home on Sanibel island.
Alex Herrey was able to outlast the storm but can’t help but think about those who couldn’t.
Hurricane Ian devastated central Florida for almost three weeks and took countless lives. The numerous communities affected have begun their journey back to rebuilding. As one local told the Washington Post, “This is the price we pay for living in paradise.”
While that may be the case, the southeast has had to deal with these life-changing events for years and it hasn’t made it any easier to recover from. There are many misconceptions about severe weather in terms of how and where it occurs, but there is no misconception about how cities go about recovering from these events.
It’s a process supported by disaster relief funds and the hope is that the relief efforts will be swift and impactful.
Alex Herrey’s daughter attends IU. He shared his experience of being at his home in Sanibel, Florida during Hurricane Ian.
Alex Herrey’s passion for the Sanibel community is unquestioned. On top of all his lost belongings and damage to his property, Herrey felt worst for the island’s permanent residents.
Herrey shared his thoughts on what it was like to return to Sanibel when saying, “You could see it was coming, the skies were grey and there was a feeling you know if you’re from the area.”
He opted to remain on his property and protect what belongings he could before evacuating at the end of the storm’s peak.
During the worst of it, Herrey was met by Ian’s storm surge which led to severe flooding in the area.
He even recalls looking through the eye of the storm as it passed over his home saying, “There was a moment where I could look straight up and see right through the storm and I knew that was the eye.”
Dr. Paul Staten is an associate professor at IU’s school of Earth and Atmospheric sciences.Given Dr. Staten’s expertise in the area of extreme weather, he added invaluable insight to how and why this hurricane was different from ones of the past.
Dr. Paul W. Staten is an associate professor at Indiana University’s school of Earth and Atmospheric sciences.
While the numbers associated with Ian match those of the deadliest in recent history, many lives were saved by the hastily made evacuation orders implemented by government officials. Dr. Staten shared his opinion on how swift communication and preparation can save lives.
Thankfully this was evident during Ian and should become commonplace when it comes to all severe weather disasters in the future.
