WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
Not since the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane have this many Floridians perished in a storm.
Read More »Early reports emerge of stunning damage on Florida’s iconic Sanibel Island, still severed from mainland by bridge collapse
FORT MYERS, Fla. – A cement-like mixture of sand, muck and oil cloaks everything on Sanibel Island, one of two barrier islands renowned for their sandy beaches and seashells where Hurricane Ian particularly focused its fury. The mixture smeared across Carolyn Bradbury Schwartz’s face and filled her boots as she …
Read More »Ian deals blow to Florida’s teetering insurance sector
Daniel Kelly and his wife bought a 1977 doublewide mobile home in May for about $83,000 at Tropicana Sands, a community for people 55 and older in Fort Myers, Florida. But he ran into roadblocks when he tried to insure it.
Read More »The Point, Oct. 5, 2022: President Biden scheduled to visit Florida and survey Hurricane Ian damage
Gov. Ron DeSantis is so far working cooperatively with the federal administration through storm recovery.
Read More »Lifelines after landfall: Southwest Florida grapples with Hurricane Ian’s impact
FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Gulf of Mexico swallowed driftwood, stray shoes, split skim boards and the last vestige of Crystal Edge’s mother’s memory in the days following Hurricane Ian’s devastation. The 28-year-old sailboat – a family heirloom – remained trapped below piled debris at a marina under the Fort …
Read More »Residents of Hills of Santa Fe breathe a sigh of relief in the wake of Hurricane Ian
When Hurricane Ian was originally projected to make landfall around the Tampa Bay area and rampage up the center of Florida near Gainesville, the residents of Hills of Santa Fe held their breath. In a community with a long history of severe flooding, homeowners prepared for the worst. Then the storm changed course, heading northeast near Orlando and out into the Atlantic Ocean. Making landfall as a Category 4 storm near Fort Myers and Cape Coral before heading northeast, Hurricane Ian largely spared Gainesville of extreme damage.
Read More »The Point, Sept. 30, 2022: Hurricane Ian: The scale of devastation, statewide impacts and how you can help
The storm has moved on from Florida, but its impacts are here to stay in many communities.
Read More »The Point, Sept. 29, 2022: Hurricane Ian devastates Southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms to hit the state
The storm made landfall Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph wind speeds.
Read More »Gainesville businesses experience ups and downs of hurricane prep
Heather Halak, the owner of Third House Books in Gainesville, was among the many Florida business owners preparing for Hurricane Ian this week.
Read More »Preparing livestock amid Hurricane Ian
Livestock owners preparing for Hurricane Ian have three major concerns: identification, sheltering and power. Livestock can be identified by using ear tags or by spraying numbers onto the cattle using a can of nontoxic spray. Because most barns are not built to withstand hurricane winds, many area farms will leave their cows to weather the storm in open fields. Another concern is keeping power on so well water can be pumped for the livestock to drink.
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