Hurricane Irma

Did you know that if you have no AA-sized batteries, you can use AAA batteries and tin foil instead?

Did you know that just one inch of water in your home can cause $25,000 in damage?

Did you know that if you live in a high rise, every 15 stories up you add a category to the hurricane strength?

Those were tidbits of information given to North Fort Myers residents on Tuesday by WINK-TV meteorologist Matt Devitt during the North Fort Myers Civic Association hurricane seminar at the rec center.

Devitt gave the dozens of people attending some facts about hurricanes, the damage such storms can do and what they can do in the event a hurricane hits, before, during and after.

Devitt, who has been at WINK since 2013, was here for Irma and spoke quite a bit about that storm and how close Lee County came from having a major disaster on its hands.

That storm hit the west coast of Florida in Chokoloskee and went up the spine of Florida, which was a break for us because it left much of Southwest Florida on the west side, or weaker side of the storm, which also removed the possibility of storm surge to the area, which would have been catastrophic.

“The initial forecast had Irma making landfall on Sanibel and was going to go up Fort Myers Pier and the Caloosahatchee,” Devitt said. “At the last minute it shifted 40 miles to the east and took the storm surge with it. Most of us dodged a bullet.”

Devitt also warned that hurricanes can form with little warning. While we saw Irma coming a week before it arrived here, Michael in 2018 started as a tropical depression on Oct. 7, strengthened into a Category 5 storm and blasted Mexico Beach, Florida three days later, virtually flattening it with 19 feet of storm surge.

“It was a storm they had never seen in recent memory in the Panhandle. It’s why we stress getting prepared early. Can you get prepared for this in three days?” Devitt said.

Over the last two years, Eta in 2020 and Elsa last year came very close to Southwest Florida but just missed to the west. They were among the 19 storms to hit the United States in the last two years.

This year’s outlook calls for 20 named storms including 10 hurricanes and five major hurricanes. The probability of a hurricane hitting Florida within 50 miles is 75 percent, Devitt said, with the probability of a hurricane hitting this area every seven or eight years.

Most important, Devitt talked about being prepared and having a plan in the event of a hurricane. Nearly half of all tropical storm deaths occur through storm surge, with wind accounting for only 8 percent of deaths. If told to evacuate, do so and have a place to go, planning several routes to get there.

“Evacuating stinks. But when it comes to the life of the people you love or yourself, you can’t put a price on that,” Devitt said. “If you’re told to evacuate, you can stay. But if you do, you’re on your own.”

Make sure your insurance is up to date and know what’s in your policy and remember that flood insurance must be obtained separately. Put up storm shutters and secure all loose outdoor items and make sure all doors and your car are secured and has gas in it if you need it.

Most important. Have non-perishable food and water, pack your meds, make sure you have batteries, and use cash. Debit and credit machines could be inoperable for days or even weeks making it impossible to pay for the necessities.

Devitt also had some hurricane hacks if you need to be creative, such as storing water in the tub and packing the freezer with Ziploc bags of water to help frozen items stay that way, putting a piece of sod in the garage for your dogs to do their business and using AAA batteries and tin foil to make an AA battery in an emergency.

Civic Association member Michelle Ayers gave Devitt a positive review on his presentation.

“I love Matt. He’s the master. I didn’t know that in high rises the higher up you go, you add a category,” Ayers said. “And I’m going to try that battery hack he suggested.”