Newsletter 72
It has been a busy, frightening and surreal two weeks. The preparation for the storm, the storm’s impact to the Suncoast area and the aftermath. We have many things to be grateful for. While the storm did damage to many homes and properties, it could have been so much worse. I have observed that the storm has brought people together. Differences are put aside. People stop and say hello; everyone has a story. Many people are still without power, and water. Fortunately the power to my home was restored on Thursday, and I felt like I had won the lottery to have my home intact. Utility companies from other states (and Canada) are helping get us back to a semblance of normality. We continue to watch the tropics and pray that our area (and of course everywhere) will be spared the wrath of future storms. On a personal note, I want to acknowledge our friends who have offered various types of support to me and to my family through this challenging time. I thank you with deep appreciation and gratitude.
We resume our normal schedule this week.
News From The Suncoast
BLACKOUTS LINGER, STRAIN MOUNTS:
Five days after Hurricane Irma, more than 113,000 customers of Southwest Florida were still suffering through 90-degree heat without power. While that is down to one-fifth of Florida Power & Light Co’s. customer base here, frustration is mounting. FPL says that it has returned electric service to 352,280 customers in the region who lost power from Irma. Nearly 700 crew members are working to restore power in Sarasota and Manatee. 20% of the customer base in 3-county area is still without power. To read more on this story, courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, please click here: Blackouts Linger
AFTER IRMA, HUMANITY EMERGES:
The winds of the hurricane peeled back Dan Brennan’s roof, exposing the living room and the depths of his sorrow. The last three months have been rough, and now here was Irma to push him over the edge. Last Wednesday, he went on Facebook and described the damage to his home, and with no insurance. He said "I am feeling quite depressed, shell-shocked and completely destroyed." "I am considering ending it all." The response was overwhelming. People offered phone numbers for churches, for FEMA , for the suicide hotline. One man said "Can I bring you a hot meal, we’ll make it happen." That man’s name was Alan Pollard Jr, and he even took it a step further. He searched for Brennan’s address on line and set out to find the 67 year-old man. There’s more on this heart-warming story here: Humanity Emerges
COPING WITH LOSSES AFTER THE STORM:
Things have been dark at the Ringling since Hurricane Irma hit. But it’s not just the lights that are out, so may be the paychecks of the 70 or so people who work at the restaurant. The hurricane predominantly spared homes and businesses however it’s leaving businesses and employees in dark patches all over town in a strange limbo. Restaurant owners lost quite a bit of food in the outages, and owners are more concerned about what this will do to their people. Click here for more on this Irma Work Losses
IRMA WREAKS HAVOC, BUT NOT WITH HOME SALES:
Hurricane Irma hasn’t blown the roof off the Sarasota-Manatee real estate market. In the hot Sarasota and Manatee market, real estate agents and brokers are not reeling from Irma. It’s business as usual, even with some hurricane fears among some potential buyers. Chris McCarty, director of the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, and Stanley Smith, professor of economics (emeritus) and a research demographer in the bureau, completed a study called "Demographic Effects of Natural Disasters: A Case Study of Hurricane Andrew." Their research focussed on determining whether hurricanes have a permanent effect on people’s view of a region. They found cyclones had no lasting influence on their intentions to visit or move to Florida. For more, please click here: Home Sales & Disaster Studies
PREPARING FOR MORE IRMAS:
Following two historic hurricanes this summer, scientists, climatologists and local officials are raising the alarm that global climate change could be contributing to the size and scope of storms that bear down on the the Southeast each year. The complex science and politically charged debate on climate change complicate assessments of whether or how global warming is affecting hurricane’s scale or could make them worse in the future. At the very least, though, scientists agree some combination of climate change, warming and rising oceans and Florida’s booming growth are sure to make the area more susceptible to potentially stronger storms. Please click here for more: Climate Change, Sea Level Rise Fuel Storms
POWERED UP WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT:
This is a letter written to Ed Del Grande: Q. Dear Ed: With the recent storms hitting the U.S., I have decided to have a standby generator installed. What are the steps to having a home generator installed? A: A residential standby generator is not a portable generator. Standby generators start up automatically when power is lost. I’m happy to revisit my five basic steps to follow if you’re looking to have a standby generator installed. Please follow this link for the five steps: Standby Generators
Thanks for reading our newsletter. Feel free to forward to your friends.
Sunny regards,
Joel
SUNCOAST HOME CONCIERGE SERVICES
Trusted care for your home
Phone: (941) 961-4309
Fax: (941) 923-4983
Website: www.SuncoastHomeConcierge.com