Hurricane Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 monster storm — the most powerful hurricane on record to hit this area. More than 100 were killed, some in random and extremely unlucky ways (like the driver on I-4 in Tampa who was killed by a wind-borne road sign). The devastation was widespread, even in areas along Florida’s Gulf Coast that weren’t near the eye — and as far away as the mountains of North Carolina.
Drone footage from storm chasers revealed the seemingly unlimited devastation to homes, businesses, communities. Entire neighborhoods, once home to many Floridians, are now gone. Large shopping centers were devastated, their parking lots turned into lakes. Quaint Florida seaside shops and restaurants sit damaged beyond repair. Wrecked boats sit high and dry far away from the water where they once lived. Debris from people’s homes and lives sit in piles where the surge took them. It’s something that long-term Keys residents are all too familiar with.
This time, however, it wasn’t only Florida. Georgia and the Carolinas were hit hard. Downtown Asheville, NC was flooded, as were many other communities along the French Broad river — which set a new record of cresting that last happened in 1895. Highways and bridges were washed out. Rainfalls of more than 30 inches washed away homes and businesses. The towns of Swannanoa and Black Mountain were devastated. Mount Mitchell near Asheville saw a gust of 106 mph.
It’s a horrible feeling to virtually witness this wanton destruction of people’s towns, their businesses, their homes. It’s also heartbreaking to realize and understand what these folks face in the aftermath — the immediate cleanup and years of rebuilding and restoring their communities.
The damage estimates will likely be in the billions before too long. Compare that, though, with the cost of all the lives that could have been lost without effective emergency management. The National Hurricane Center works with local National Weather Service offices and local emergency managers to prepare and inform storm-vulnerable areas. These weather professionals and local on-the-scene officials and first responders are some of the heroes of any disaster.
I’d hate to think of what might have been if we didn’t have our modern warning systems and technology. The deadliest hurricane on record happened back in 1900, long before we had the technology and science we depend on today. The Great Galveston Hurricane took 8,000 lives and devastated that coastal Gulf city. They didn’t have things like satellite tracking and forecast models — all they had to inform them of pending disaster were falling barometers, darkening skies and ship’s radio transmissions. At my deadline, 47 people were killed in North Carolina, 30 in South Carolina, 25 in Georgia, four in Tennessee, two in Virginia. There were 11 deaths in Florida, 10 of which were in Pinellas County, home of St. Petersburg and far away from Helene’s landfall.
A week ago this past Monday, Monroe County cut the ribbon and officially opened its brand new, state-of-the-art, storm-hardened Emergency Operations Center. It’s unbelievable that Monroe County was the last county in Florida without a dedicated EOC. The very next day after the grand opening, our EOC was activated to help us prepare for Helene’s passage past our islands.
As someone who has worked firsthand with our emergency managers on a local government level, I appreciate all that goes into keeping our local communities safe and prepared. I really feel for the storm’s victims so far away from coastal communities that are somewhat better prepared for hurricanes… and I hope one day governments and insurance folks will come together and create better solutions for catastrophe victims nationwide.
– John Bartus is a singer/songwriter, city administrator for Key Colony Beach and the former mayor of Marathon. Catch John live Thursdays at Sparky’s Landing, this Friday with Adrienne Z at Lorelei, and Sunday afternoons at Skipjack Tiki. Find his music anywhere you download or stream your music. www.johnbartus.com • johnbartus.hearnow.com
