Ian the Ugly was a modern day Attila the Hun

Floridians United

Ian the Ugly pillaged and plundered, destroying homes, killing people and animals and changing the Florida landscape forever during his short lifetime.  People everywhere were grateful to see Ian the Ugly weaken and die.

Teams assembled quickly, having rehearsed for a major weather or human caused event, so teams were ready to roll, showing up ready to work 24/7 until the next team arrived to take over.  Interestingly enough, the Surfside Condo Tragedy on June 24, 2021, spawned many new protocols and procedures for teams and equipment design, which made it possible for teams to begin work as soon as it was safe.

THE GOOD

Where to start?

From my perspective, regular updates from elected officials, live streamed on Facebook, with good media followup made me feel safe. I never lost internet or electricity so had access to regular updates. I remember Wilma (2005), alone and scared in my 4th floor condo next to the Intercostal in Lake Park, Florida, a story for another day.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was clearly in charge, surrounding himself with other elected officials and public servants, seeking advice of folks with specialized knowledge and assigning tasks as appropriate. First Lady Casey DeSantis joined the Team to coordinate raising and distributing funds for food, water, shelter for folks made homeless by Ian the Ugly.

The Media

The 1928 Hurricane killed over 2,500 people in Palm Beach County. In 1928 “the media” was the Palm Beach Post delivered daily in a subscriber’s driveway. According to Eliot Kleinberg, the Palm Beach Post editor edited his reporters copy to make the approaching hurricane insignificant so folks had no warning.

Today multimedia is the name of the game. The challenge is reaching those folks who are not tech savvy, without Internet or television. Everyone else gets multiple messages a day with explicit instructions on protocols before, during and after a storm. Ian the Ugly took fewer than 100 lives.

Miami Herald

Collapse: Disaster in Surfside, a 12 episode podcast series by Treefort Media and the Miami Herald, made me a fan of the Miami Herald staff. Sarah Blakey and Joey Fleschas were clear - this is our home. We live, work, shop. pray, play in this neighborhood. We will follow this story to the end, keeping our subscribers informed on new facts as we learn.

Linda Robinson became my favorite Miami Herald reporter because of the lovingly crafted obituaries on each pot the 98 people who perished. Linda and photo journalist PEDRO PORTAL pportal@miamiherald.com told the sad story of the aftermath of Ian The Ugly.

I recommend reading all the Miami Herald stories to get the full picture. Collapse: Disaster in Surfside has already had an impact in hurricane protocols and equipment design.

South Florida Sun Sentinel

The South Florida Sun Sentinel - Palm Beach Edition is my other favorite local paper. Occasionally they come up with important articles like an article naming Becker and Poliakoff, the attorneys who developed much of the Community Association law in less than favorable light. That has been my experience so I continue to subscribe to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Green Market Season Opens in Palm Beach County

It’s that time of year again! From Palm Beach Gardens to Delray Beach, Florida people are ready for some fresh air and some fresh from the farm fruits, vegetables and proteins, and Palm Beach County is serving them up from one end of the county to the other.  Green Markets are popular marketplaces where small farmers, local artisans and trail blazing entrepreneurs come together to offer their best of the best food products and artisan works. It’s that “Third Place” where Colleagues, family, friends and neighbors gather together on breezy afternoons to shop and mingle with their tribes.

The king of all Markets in Palm Beach County is The West Palm Beach GreenMarket.  This year the market’s theme is “Sweet Success” and judging from the picture perfect opening day weather, this year will indeed be very sweet!  With dozens of artisan food vendors this is the one market in Palm Beach County that you do not want to miss. Other popular local markets include the Delray Beach GreenMarket, in Delray Beach, FL, Lake Worth Farmers Market, in Lake Worth Beach, FL, Gardens GreenMarket in Palm Beach Gardens, FL  and one of my personal favorites, Swank Specialty Farmers Market in Loxahatchee, FL.

Delray Beach Green Market - Delray Beach, FL

Lake Worth Beach Farmers Market - Lake Worth Beach, FL

Gardens Green Market - Palm Beach Garden, FL

Royal Palm GreenMarket - Royal Palm Beach, FL 

Swank Specialty Farmers Market - Loxahatchee, FL

West Palm Beach GreenMarket - West Palm Beach, FL

Cooking farm to table dinners is a breeze in Palm Beach County. All it takes is spending a weekend afternoon shopping at one of these great markets, pulling up your favorite recipe on Pinterest and following instructions!