Avoiding hurricane IAN in Florida despite preparation

Community comes together preparing sandbags in case of need!

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Photo by good samaritan helper, Diana

Article by Brian Patrick Moore, State Senate 11 candidate, for Hernando, Citrus, Sumter & W. Pasco Counties

Brian is pictured joining the Hernando County community at Linda Pedersen Park on Shoal Line Blvd in Hernando Beach/Spring Hill on Tuesday, September 27th, in preparation of pending Hurricane Ian. The projected storm was heading in the Tampa Bay area direction at that time, including within the cone of Pasco, Hernando and Citrus county coastal areas. It was projected to be a category 3 storm but increased to almost a 5.

Mandatory evacuations had been announced by the governor for all Hernando County areas from the Gulf Coast to select flood zones A,B, and C up to US Highway 19. The order also applied to low level mobile homes throughout the county as well. Emergency shelters were also made available in nearby public schools.

With the assistance of two good samaritans, Diane and Ed, Brian was able to pack 12 sandbags should he or his neighbors be in need to avoid any flooding from the expected surge.

Hernando County government, who supplied the sandbags, truckloads of dirt and several supportive employees in the Pedersen park location, were a big help. It was also reported in the Hernando Sun newspaper that a group of young sea scouts helped prepare 900 sandbags the previous weekend.

Brian also kept his eye on the situation for nearby West Pasco, and Citrus and Sumter Counties, which were expected to be in the path of the storm initially. These counties are also part of the State Senate district that he is a candidate.

By late Tuesday night, Ian's direction turned slightly eastward, thus slamming the areas south of Tampa (Punta Gorda, Naples, Fr. Myers, Sarasota, Sanibel Island, etc.), and not north of Tampa as originally expected.

While 450,000 residents lost power in nearby Hillsborough and Pasco Counties, Hernando County, and northward, appeared to be spared. We avoided the hurricane bullet, once again.

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