Riders on the Storm - An ode to Florida
By: Thorsten Overgaard. October 9, 2024. Updated October 10, 2024 (see the end for epilogue)
Sometimes life's journey and challenges can get a little too exciting. Today, let's applaud the brave people of Florida, of whom five million have been instructed to evacuate their homes. Some drove north, some drove south, some flew somewhere else, and many of us found a local hurricane-safe hotel or one of the shelters set up to house hundreds or thousands during the peak.
Here is a photo essay of how it normally looks around where I live in Clearwater and Tampa, Florida.
North beach of Clearwater Beach. Leica M10-P.
Clearwater Beach on Saturday, September 28, two days after the recent hurricane, and how it looks most days. Leica Q3 43.
Granade Street in Dunedin, Florida. Leica Q3 43.
The walking path along the coast between Clearwater and Dunedin. Leica Q3 43.
My hometown for the last five years, Clearwater in Florida, was affected by Hurricane Helena on September 26 and is due for the less wide, but stronger, Hurricane Milton tonight. So far, our house has been doing fine.
The naming of hurricanes lies with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO under the UN), where employees get to name hurricanes after ex-boyfriends and old school teachers. A prepared list of twenty-one names exists, for example, Alberto, Beryl, Chris, Debby, Helene, Milton, and Ernesto.
Both my oldest kids, who are living here, are deeply involved in the preparations for hurricanes and dealing with the aftermath.
My son, already on Sunday, gave me a direct order to book a hotel and move in before the rush. I packed up the most important cameras, hard drives, and the cats, and moved in on Monday. Layla is in Aruba, so she is safe.
The sun shines most days, allowing for the most exotic trees, plants, fruits, and animals to flourish and prosper. Leica Q3 43.
The newly designed Coachman Park in Clearwater features a large outdoor concert venue where international artists perform live concerts. Leica Q3 43.
The neon sign for Palm Court Motel up the coast. The motel was hit by the last hurricane but is coming back in business soon. Leica Q3 43.
Landshark Grill by the harbor in Clearwater. Leica M11.
The Sandpearl Resort is one of several large hotels on "the best beach in the United States". Leica M11.
The beach at sunset. Leica M10-P.
You feel it in the air
Apart from things flying through the air and things falling apart, the main damage from hurricanes is flooding. As in the hurricane two weeks ago that flooded many houses with 4 feet of water—which is quite a bit if you consider how few of our household belongings are safely located above 4 feet.
I took a walk to Clearwater Beach to make sure the power was turned off in a house and photographed during the walk of four hours. There is really not much to see. From the outside, the only sign is a 'water line' that shows how high the water went.
But as you walk through the neighborhoods, you feel the loss in the air. People who lost their homes and lifestyle are trying to face a new beginning, amidst having to fight with FEMA and insurance companies.
A couple of days later, the devastation becomes visible as furniture and belongings stack up in front of the homes. Rebuilding can begin—along with painful dealings with FEMA, insurance companies ... but now a new hurricane today that is stronger, but smaller in diameter.
The north beach four days after the hurricane. The dirt on the road is sand that came with the flood. As of today, it has all been removed so it wouldn't fly around in a new hurricane. Leica Q3 43.
I spent three weeks in Southeast Asia after the tsunami in 2005 as a volunteer (see my book here, After the Tsunami). Similar in many ways, except the tsunami was unexpected and hit suddenly. The destruction was mostly by the coast; everything was normal once you got inland. Today, like then, my church supplied hundreds of volunteers to help the survivors and with the cleanup.
The staff of the City of Clearwater seemed to be collecting trash 24/7, reestablishing electricity, and more, with police cars circling neighborhoods constantly.
The city boarded up by church members. Leica SL3 with Leica 21mm Summilux f/1.4.
In Clearwater over the last two weeks, hundreds of volunteers and church staff have turned from cleanup to preparations for the next storm. Starbucks, local stores, and more have been boarded up, courtesy of the Church of Scientology and their volunteers.
The preparations have been going on almost day and night since Sunday. Volunteers and church staff are utilizing the last few hours to board up even more buildings in the city. Leica Q3 43.
Four hundred volunteers were ready the other morning at 8:30 AM for deployment to affected areas throughout Clearwater Beach. Hasselblad 907X with Hasselblad 80mm f/1.9.
Feels like Christmas
Also, shelters have been made available for about 4,000 people to spend the night, with food, water, spare power supplies, and everything prepared.
The last few days, there's been an excitement in the air, and a familiarity with the routine of seeking shelter from the storm, along with the underlying discomfort of the unknown consequences.
It may sound strange, but it feels a bit like Christmas as familiar faces, along with a few select belongings and pets, arrive at the hotel I am staying in. 'Here we are again' is the look we send each other.
In this shelter, an auditorium inside the church, with space for some hundredes, there's games, large screen showing movies, and more... Leica SL3 with Leica 21mm Summilux f/1.4.
Families arriving to the hotels with few carely selected belongings. Cars are put into safety in parking garages . Leica SL3 with Leica 21mm Summilux f/1.4.
Backups – What can happen?
I picked up my yellow bag that holds 120TB worth of backup drives from the bank box on Monday, a 15-minute drive from home, and checked that all was up to date. It was pleasantly accurate, so I packed the hard drives in their Faraday bags and drove them back to safety in the bank. It felt terribly nice!
A view from Clearwater to the Clearwater Beach beyond. Leica Q3 43.
Epilogue - How did it go?
The hurricane hit land around 8.45 PM, hours earlier than expected, much weaker than expected (category 3 vs category 5), and 40 miles South of where I was.
After a night in a swinging hotel building and rain and wind hitting the windows with 60-90 mph, I went home 7AM and found the home almost untouched by the hurricane, with power and internet intact.
Many friends reported loss of power and would stay another night in the hotel, and I heard reports of floods in the streets in nearby coast areas. Far from that 'worst storm in 100 years' some had reported would be happening .
8 AM: The hurricane had tilted one of the city's street signs, and a lot of loose branches from trees. I saw a few tilted street lamps, tilted trees and heard about a lot of friends with no power. Here is the hotel manager with the Leica D-Lux 8 which made his morning. Leica Q3 43. © Thorsten Overgaard.
10 AM the morning after the hurricane:. As m any as eight trucks in this small neighborhood cutting down tilted trees and cleaning the roads . Leica Q3 43. © Thorsten Overgaard.
City of Clearwater repairing the traffic light. Leica Q3 43. © Thorsten Overgaard.
Volunteer Ministers cleaning up the streets. Leica SL3 with Leica 90mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten Overgaard.
A force of about 150 men from Colorado Task Force 1 (CO-TF1) and NCR Nationall Correction Facility Officers (as part of an all hands on deck) had been deployed to downtown Clearwater with dogs, boats and helicopters to rescue people caught, wounded or dead. It didn't make as much sense at this point, but might have three days prior when then the forecast saud that the hurricane would be category 5 and hitting these exact streets. Leica Q3 43. © Thorsten Overgaard.
The Chase bank on Clearwater Beach flodded with four feet of water two weeks ago and did not take any chances on this hurricane. But this hurricane did not cause any floods in this area. Leica Q3 43. © Thorsten Overgaard.
On the beach the day after the hurricane. Not many people anywhere on the islands. Leica SL3 with Leica 90mm APO-Summicron-M ASPH f/2.0. © Thorsten Overgaard.
More to come
Bon voyage with it all. Sign up for the newsletter to stay in the know. As always, feel free to email me with suggestions, questions and ideas. And hope to see you in a workshop one day soon.
/Thorsten Overgaard
Layla at the beach a while back. A lot of people walk the beach by sunset every evening, admiring the sunset, the birds, and the occasional dolphins. Leica M10-P.
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
"Photography is simple"
Thorsten Overgaard is one of the best to explain in simple terms how cameras works, and how to get excellent results.
Be competent. Buy and study this easy-to-use video class that explains how to get focus right, what sharpness is, how to get the exposure and the colors right, and more ...
"Easy to apply, photography finally told so everyone can become an expert user"
Normal price $498.00
Explained by Thorsten Overgaard by using Leica Q2, Leica SL2, Leica M11, Leica M10 Monochrom, 35mm film cameras, Leica Digilux 2 and more. |
|
Thorsten Overgaard's
"Camera Excellence Class"
For Computer,
iPad, Apple TV and smartphone.
Normal price $498.00
Only $198.00
Save $300.00
USE CODE: "COXY66" ON CHECKOUT
Brand new. Order now. Instant Delivery.
100% satisfaction or money back.
More info
Item #1847-0323
Released April 2023
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
