Quiet now may not mean quiet later
Winds from Hurricane Ivan were strong enough to launch a pickup truck into a swimming pool
It was 15 years ago next week that Hurricane Ivan formed, becoming the fourth major hurricane of the very active 2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season. After striking parts of the Caribbean as a Cat 4/Cat 5 storm, Ivan headed toward Pensacola, Florida and came ashore on September 16 as a strong Category 3, causing significant damage. By comparison, this month of August so far has seen just two named storms. But hurricane prime-time isn’t really for another few weeks, and Governor DeSantis admitted the power of prayer so far, seems to be working, as we take a look back at Ivan’s destruction.
A semi-tractor trailer truck is broken and left dangling in the bay from the broken end of the Interstate 10 bridge to Santa Rosa County in the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan
Governor DeSantis last week said that his May visit to Israel included a trip to the Western Wall, where tradition sees many visitors sticking prayer requests written on pieces of paper in between the crevices of the ancient wall. The Governor revealed his prayer slip read “Good Lord, spare us hurricanes this year.” So far, so good.
In remembrance of Hurricane Ivan’s destruction, we are sharing some pictures here and on this link, courtesy of Todd Thomas of the Sigma Consulting Group of New Orleans. Todd explains he recently found these pictures on a slide deck he used in presentations after the storm.
An apartment complex on US 98 near the Naval Live Oaks area is devastated by Hurricane Ivan’s upwards of 120 mph winds
Ivan made landfall on the U.S. mainland in Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 3 hurricane, with 1-minute sustained winds of 120 mph, although some sources put the winds near 130 mph (Category 4) upon landfall in Alabama and northwestern Florida. Ivan then continued inland, maintaining hurricane strength until it was over central Alabama. It weakened rapidly that evening and became a tropical depression on the same day, still over Alabama.
I was a Florida deputy insurance commissioner at the time and worked with President Bush’s advance team when he came to see the damage. When it was all over, Ivan had killed 123 people, including 14 in Florida, and caused $26.1 billion in total damages.
Hurricane Ivan’s storm surge completely inundates this beachside home
Those were pretty heady times, with four hurricanes hitting Florida that year in 2004, followed by another four hurricanes striking our state in 2005. Then 10 years with no Florida hurricanes. We did a lot of good in the aftermath of those storms. A rebuild of parts of northwestern Florida resulted from it. Thousands of homes were hardened against future storms, using FEMA and HUD dollars.
It’s not too late to prepare for whatever this hurricane season may bring us. Lisa’s Lucky 7 Hurricane Prep is a handy list for you and your family that you can also share with clients and colleagues. You can click here or on the logo for a full-size version that prints nicely on a single sheet of paper. It’s all about protecting people and property. We care about your safety!
LMA Newsletter of 8-26-19
