The prognostication of a “worse than normal” hurricane season seemed unlikely, but we aren’t out of the woods yet. Hurricane Fiona inflicted severe damage in Puerto Rico and then, just for good measure, moved north offshore and pounded the coast of Canada.
Fiona hit Puerto Rico as a category one hurricane but brought substantial rainfall. Some areas of the island received the equivalent of 12 months of rain in hours, causing massive flooding and requiring many unsuspecting islanders to be rescued. Fiona did not pack the wind punch that category 4 Maria brought in 2017, but rain totals from Fiona are in line with the 2017 storm. It is estimated that southern portions of Puerto Rico received upwards of 2-3 feet of rainfall.
A key island crop and popular dietary fruit plantain, a seedless berry, and a member of the banana family might have been devastated by the flood waters. Ramón González Beiró, the secretary of Puerto Rico’s department of agriculture, announced that the vast majority of fields were lost due to the storm’s heavy downpour and will take months to be restored, several Puerto Rican news outlets reported. The storm also battered bananas, papaya, and coffee fields. He estimated the island’s agricultural industry would lose about $100 million. Islanders living in the southern regions of the island remain concerned with extended power blackouts.
Fiona remained offshore as she headed up the east coast but curled in close enough to do extensive damage to the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia. Hurricane-force winds of 90 mph slammed into the maritime province, leaving most residents in the dark. Prince Edward’s Island also received a direct hit, leaving the entire island without power. Nearly a half million residents remain without power, with officials from Nova Scotia estimating several more days for many before power is restored. Devastation in Newfoundland is as severe as anything that’s ever been seen in that area. Storm surge over 6 feet forced evacuation across PEI. Many houses were washed out to see on the southwestern shore of Newfoundland.
And now we have Ian, a powerful storm lurking just off the Gulf Coast of Florida with an anticipated landfall of somewhere in Charlotte County, somewhere around Fort Myers, Florida, at a projected time of 2 PM EST. Much of the area has been evacuated as Ian races towards the shore as a strong category 4 hurricane with sustained winds approaching 155 mph and gusts up to 190 mph. Storm surges could reach as high as 16 feet in an area stretching from Englewood to Bonita Beach.
