Ian did not impact Southeast Florida, but coastal residents there took notice of the state's deadliest hurricane since 1935 that devastated much of Southwest Florida last month, particularly the barrier islands off the Gulf Coast.
Ten days after Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28 on Cayo Costa, one of Lee County's many barrier islands, focus continues to be placed on the timeliness of evacuation orders issued by the county. “The largest number of fatalities was in Lee County, home to three islands that saw the greatest impact from the storm,” reported NPR's Miami correspondent, Greg Allen, on October 8.
Medical examiners are still certifying storm-related deaths. But it's already clear Ian is the deadliest storm to hit Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. ["The best estimate of mortalities, furnished by the American Red Cross, places the total at 409, of which number 244 are known dead and 165 missing.”]
ABC reported that the number of hurricane-caused fatalities in Florida to be at least 120 on October 10, with 56 in Lee County and 24 in neighboring Charlotte County to its north where it Ian hit the mainland at Punta Gorda.
“On Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach and other areas, many people stayed,” added Allen. The city and town are located on Sanibel and Estero barrier islands, respectively.
Barrier Islands
“The barrier islands are, in a way, exactly what they sound like, sort of the first line of defense,” Will Butler, a Florida State University associate professor for the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Florida’s oldest and largest planning program, told Michelle Quesada of WPTV NewsChannel 5 on October 4 in the source article.
These islands take the brunt of the storm surge, helping to protect the mainland.
Butler said barrier islands are dynamic, forming naturally but constantly changing due to sea level rise.
Déjà Vu
Planetizen has been here before—five years ago with Hurricane Irma, although the focus was on one particular barrier island in South Florida far more populated and urbanized than any of the 15 barrier islands off Lee County.
- Miami Beach: A Model of Climate Adaptation for Coastal Cities? September 22, 2017
- Miami Beach: A Four-Foot High Barrier Island Awaited Irma, September 14, 2017
Atlantic Coast Perspective
“Floridians on the east coast are watching closely the devastation and recovery that's occurring on the west coast's barrier islands,” began Quesada in the source article for an NBC affiliate based in West Palm Beach. “Many people are wondering what would happen if a similar storm hit South Florida or the Treasure Coast.”
The main takeaway for Manalapan resident Anne Davis is heeding the evacuation orders, assuming they are issued in a timely manner. The Palm Beach County town is located on a barrier island that includes Palm Beach and South Palm Beach, known as Palm Beach island.
But knowing the risks, she still wouldn't move now.
“I make a choice to live on a barrier island,” Davis said. “It's my home.”
Not all Barrier Islands are Alike
Butler, the FSU urban planning professor, explains that “the structure of each island will determine the extent to which sea levels rise or storm surge will impact whatever is on that island.”
John Renne, an urban planning professor at Florida Atlantic University and the director for the Center of Urban and Environmental Solutions, adds, “In Palm Beach, the town of Palm Beach, there's actually some pretty high ground in certain parts of the barrier island.”
Renne said some of the limestone which makes up the barrier island is higher in some areas — which could help during major storm surge — but it will not prevent it.
“We could absolutely have a major storm surge that would certainly devastate our barrier islands in a very similar way to what we see on the west coast,” Renne said.
Meanwhile, back in hard-hit Lee County, officials announced on October 8 that search-and-rescue efforts would shift to search-and-recovery operations the next day.
Additional Reading:
- “Ian shows the risks and costs of living on barrier islands,” The Associated Press, Oct. 1, 2022
- “Hurricane Ian Raises Questions of Risk and Resilience,” Governing, Sept. 28, 2022
Hurricane Ian Coverage:
- Hurricane Ian: When to Evacuate? October 5, 2022
- Ian's Test, September 30, 2022
Other Related Posts:
- Surfside Collapse Highlights Florida's 'Unique Vulnerabilities,' July 12, 2021
- Sea-Level Rise Report: Bad News for South Florida, December 7, 2019
- Reef and Surf Take Precedence Over Beach Erosion in Florida, March 11, 2009
Read the full story: Could Palm Beach, other barrier islands face similar fate from major hurricane?
Hurricane Ian: When to Evacuate?
The New York Times reported on September 30, two days after landfall, that the order to evacuate from Lee County, where more than half of all Florida deaths due to Hurricane Ian occurred, came later than the county's emergency plan required.
Miami Beach: A Four-Foot High Barrier Island Awaited Irma
A city of almost 92,000 people sits on a one-mile wide island designed by nature to protect the mainland from ocean swells, storms, and hurricanes. The seven-mile long island, which floods even when sunny, was spared from catastrophic storm surge.
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As Irma leaves the Caribbean and heads for Florida, with landfall expected this weekend, there is a lot to worry about: New building codes will be put to test, fuel to evacuate is in short supply, and cranes have not been dismantled.
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