Dasting!! Cedar Key. (mirror of 113)
Key?
"Fantasy" land? Tis in FL. (Trumps home)
Plenty of drops
In Cedar Key, Hurricane Idalia turned a ‘haven for artists’ into a flooded wreck
Named for the trees that once covered the islands, Cedar Key, Florida, is located about four miles out in the Gulf of Mexico and connected to the mainland by a single road that crosses over four small, low bridges.
Its isolation is part of its appeal. With just 800 full-time residents, the island town bills itself as a “haven for artists, writers and ‘adventure’ tourists, who find the unspoiled environment their inspiration.”
It’s no haven today.
Hurricane Idalia brought record-high storm surge that flooded much of the island, lifting up and tossing old homes into the Gulf, strewing the streets and beach with chairs, microwaves, hairdryers and other debris and inundating much of the waterfront commercial district. There is no power, no water and no sewage, Cedar Key Fire and Rescue said Wednesday night, although the power was restored overnight.
Even so, early warnings, a mandatory evacuation order and a population that knows the island’s notable hurricane history prevented any loss of life. And now the rebuilding begins.
“It was a difficult evening and a difficult morning,” Michael Bobbitt, a resident who stayed behind during the hurricane, told CNN’s John Berman on Wednesday night. “But seeing everyone out cleaning up the streets and checking on their neighbors, it’s a little bit of a silver lining to a really tough situation.”
Photos on the Cedar Key Fire Rescue Facebook account showing some of the early destruction. Ocean water had flooded well past the edge of the island, tossing lawn furniture and deck chairs into the street. Propane tanks were blowing off all over the island, adding another hazard, Cedar Key Fire Rescue posted.
Bobbitt said it was “heartbreaking” to see the destruction of so many buildings and old villas. Yet, he said the community was doing “surprisingly well,” all things considered.
“My neighbor’s house across from me was submerged to the roof line, but we had no injuries,” he said. “We’re here. We’ll rebuild. We’ll do what Cedar Key does. All in all, I feel incredibly blessed.”
moar
https://www.yahoo.com/news/cedar-key-hurricane-idalia-turned-153701984.html