Summer storms in january

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

I see on the NWS site there was a storm that was to turn into a hurricane out in the Atlantic headed for Portugal. Very odd for January. Here in SW Florida this is usually our very dry season, often almost drought like. But this year we are getting a lot of rain.The lake behind my house is higher than I've ever seen it in the winter. Today we are having a storm - thunder and lightening and high winds with a ton of rain. Not a tropical storm but feels like one.It's so dark I have every light in the house on. A few days ago they had tornados nearby. We heard what we thought was distant thunder but it lasted for a long time then the next day we found out there had been a tornado and decided that must have been what we heard. Scary it was so close. Wow , it just got so dark I can't even see the furniture on the back lanai. Scary weather. Since we snowbird north in the summer we aren't used to these Florida storms which usually occur in the summer.

Poodlepet2 · ‎03-09-2010

You must be close to Cape Coral: I had no idea how bad the tornadoes were until I was watching Wink news and saw the clean-up underway. Haley Webb just said they are seeing rotation cells 50 miles off shore, but here in Punta Goes a, it sure is getting dark. Our pool is close to over-flow.....there is nothing typical about this winter!

Poodlepet2

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

DH just turned on the weather alert radio, just in case.

Poodlepet2 · ‎03-09-2010

It's going to be a very long weekend: it sounds like we're getting more of the same on Sunday. We have a weekend place in Bokeelia and I'm glad we're not there.....

Poodlepet2

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

OMG - a small tornado this morning less than 5 miles away. I thought it was strange when it got so dark there for a bit around 9:30 this morning.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

We were just outside bringing in the trash cans while there is a lull in the rain and chatting with neighbors. We were discussing how crazy it is that so many people who live here don't have flood insurance. How crazy is that when you live where there are hurricanes? Some here haven't even bought wind or storm surge insurance - geez louise - we live 1 1/2 miles from the ocean. That is such a huge gamble.

Dawnie · ‎03-09-2010

@Poodlepet2

We live in South Ft. Myers and own property in Bokeelia. I received a tornado warning on my phone...take cover immediately at 11:00 am today. I grabbed our little Yorkie and headed for the closet! Our pool overflowed, the palms were bending from the winds. It finally calmed and blew over. It's getting scary!!

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

We had a lull andf a little sun over lunchtime but it is getting dark again now so I suppose it will start again.The grass will be nice and green after this.

ChynnaBlue · ‎05-22-2012

@151949 wrote:
We were just outside bringing in the trash cans while there is a lull in the rain and chatting with neighbors. We were discussing how crazy it is that so many people who live here don't have flood insurance. How crazy is that when you live where there are hurricanes? Some here haven't even bought wind or storm surge insurance - geez louise - we live 1 1/2 miles from the ocean. That is such a huge gamble.

The law requires that anyone getting a bank mortgage on a property in a designated flood zone has to buy flood insurance. The problem is that many homes that flood aren't in identified flood zones because floodplains change faster than the maps.

I used to work in that industry and I think you are smart to have flood insurance where you are, even if you aren't in a flood zone. When Tropical Storm Allison hit Houston, 70% of the properties that flooded were not in identified flood zones and were not required to have insurance. There was a big push immediately afterward to put a lot of money into updating flood zone maps more often, but then September 11 happened and they money went into Homeland Security, instead. Katrina brought the issue back to the forefront and better technology has helped a lot, but it's still an issue getting maps updated and accurate.

The flood zone map showing my own property was last updated in 2005. I don't live in an immediate location that experiences a lot of flooding. An area a few miles southeast of me has had several floods in the last few years and the map for that area was updated just this month.

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151949 · ‎03-09-2010

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
@151949 wrote:
We were just outside bringing in the trash cans while there is a lull in the rain and chatting with neighbors. We were discussing how crazy it is that so many people who live here don't have flood insurance. How crazy is that when you live where there are hurricanes? Some here haven't even bought wind or storm surge insurance - geez louise - we live 1 1/2 miles from the ocean. That is such a huge gamble.

The law requires that anyone getting a bank mortgage on a property in a designated flood zone has to buy flood insurance. The problem is that many homes that flood aren't in identified flood zones because floodplains change faster than the maps.

I used to work in that industry and I think you are smart to have flood insurance where you are, even if you aren't in a flood zone. When Tropical Storm Allison hit Houston, 70% of the properties that flooded were not in identified flood zones and were not required to have insurance. There was a big push immediately afterward to put a lot of money into updating flood zone maps more often, but then September 11 happened and they money went into Homeland Security, instead. Katrina brought the issue back to the forefront and better technology has helped a lot, but it's still an issue getting maps updated and accurate.

The flood zone map showing my own property was last updated in 2005. I don't live in an immediate location that experiences a lot of flooding. An area a few miles southeast of me has had several floods in the last few years and the map for that area was updated just this month.

I don't think many of the properties here are mortgaged.It is a predominantly retiree community and I am confident to say I believe almost all were paid for cash. We were fortunate to be in a better class on the flood zone map so our rates are not too bad.Partially because the lake on the property here has much lower banks on the side opposite of where the homes are located. It floods onto the street on that side. Our side is 8 ft higher than the other side so it floods out there and the whole level drops.