Former Creston resident prepares for Ian
Sep. 29—RIVERVIEW, Florida — The Dan and Angie Swedlund family were prepared. All they had left to do was react to whatever happened.
Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday in southwest Florida as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamping city streets with water and smashing trees along the coast
The Swedlund family moved to Florida from Creston in 2018. Riverview is a suburb of the Tampa metro area and close to the bay. Riverview is about 6 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico.
"We are OK so far," Angie said after noon Wednesday. "It's really windy and the rain is constant." She said rain started at about 8:30 a.m. accompanied with strong winds.
"People's screens are blowing off their patios," she said.
The hurricane's center struck Wednesday afternoon near Cayo Costa, a protected barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. The massive storm was expected to trigger flooding across a wide area of Florida as it crawls northeastward across the peninsula.
With days warning of the approaching hurricane, Angie said she and the family prepared as much as they could. Family includes husband Dan, daughters Jordan, 23, Chloe, 14, and son Dane, 16.
"As it got closer, you see the hustle and bustle at the stores," she said. "The stores had empty shelves over the weekend. That is unusual as people usually wait until the last minute. But this one was so big, it was taken seriously earlier than usual."
Swedlund said she purchased many of the essentials late last week including bottled water and non-perishable foods. Ice kept in coolers is also suggested.
Angie's maiden name is Barnett. The family moved to Creston from Mississippi in 2008. Dan's family is from Newton and Angie's family was living in Vermilion, South Dakota where her father retired from the Army. Her parents seasonly lived in Florida as they had been "snowbirds" from South Dakota. Job opportunities moved the Swedlunds to Florida.
The Category 4 storm slammed the coast with 150 mph (241 kph) winds and pushed a wall of storm surge accumulated during its slow march over the Gulf of Mexico.
About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate southwest Florida before the storm hit. Though expected to weaken as it marched inland at about 9 mph (14 kph), Ian's hurricane force winds were likely to be felt well into central Florida.
"For the most part, the natives are calm," she said about longtime residents' response to hurricane season. "When we hear it coming, we just hunker down and wait for it to pass."
Deaths from the hurricane had already been reported in Cuba, where two people were killed as Ian tore into the island as a major hurricane Tuesday, bringing down the country's electrical grid.
"It's not an if we lose power, but when we lose power," Swedlund said.
More than 1 million homes and businesses were without electricity, and Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian's path to brace for days without power. She said generators usually sell out before hurricanes make landfall.
Swedlund said Florida officials are expecting storm surges to be up to 25 feet high. Flood level is at 13 feet.
"It's not been that high since 1960," she said, referring to another hurricane.
Area hospitals declined to take new patients and had relocated long-term patients to other facilities in safer areas. Swedlund said area school buildings are used as shelters. School activities had been canceled days prior to the hurricane arriving.
The governor said the state has 30,000 linemen, urban search and rescue teams, and 7,000 National Guard troops from Florida and elsewhere ready to help once the weather clears.
Ian made landfall more than 100 miles south of Tampa and St. Petersburg, sparing the densely populated Tampa Bay area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921. Officials warned residents that Tampa could still experience powerful winds and up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain.
The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water once the storm passes.
Swedlund said potentially living with hurricanes never second-guessed the relocation to Florida.
"I don't miss slush, ice and snow," she said.
Associated Press contributed to this story.
