Hurricane Irma Anniversary
Linda Grist Cunningham’s collection of columns, essays and news reports from Hurricane Irma in September 2017, plus news and analysis of what’s happened since then.
Hurricane Irma Anniversary
Hurricane Irma AnniversaryIt’s been a year since Hurricane Irma and the Florida Keys faced off in a wind-and-water war that left Key West relatively unharmed — and the middle Keys devastated. We are recovering; some keys faster than others. But the emotional scars remain, sometimes hidden behind smiling faces.
We begin with her first posts on Sept. 5, as her husband, Ed Cunningham, the park ranger and Cat 5 Dada, completed hurricane preparations through today as Key West and the Keys continue to recover.
Miss Molly, one of the Cat 5s who rode out Hurricane Irma, says “I’m still here.”
Timeline coverage | September 2017
Hurricane Irma | Key West news from and for locals
Key West has dreaded this storm for three decades. There are thousands of residents who've never known much more than a tropical storm. That's about to end in spectacular fashion as Hurricane Irma heads to the Keys.. A few days ago, I hopped a...
Linda Grist Cunningham | Sep 5, 2017
Compare Hurricane Wilma to Hurricane Irma
"The impact of Wilma upon Key West was as if it'd been a direct hit from a Category I hurricane." It's been decades -- literally time out of mind -- since a major hurricane has broadsided Key West. That's made us a bit complacent, not...
Linda Grist Cunningham | Sep 5, 2017
Photo Gallery: What does Key West look like without its tourists?
Wednesday night after supper, Ed walked to downtown Key West. Though we live less than a mile from the wild and wonderful tourist destinations, our home is in The Meadows, one of Key West's quietest neighborhoods, filled with...
Linda Grist Cunningham | Sep 7, 2017
Cat 5s: It’s official. Ed and the Cat 5s are on-island
See that map right up there? It says the state of Florida is in this dance with Hurricane Irma. Please note that the only place in southern Florida that's not in red or orange is Key West. That's in part why Ed and the Cat 5s are staying...
Linda Grist Cunningham | Sep 7, 2017
Where the heck IS Key West?
Where is Key West? Thought a little geography lesson might be helpful. See that blue dot down at the bottom? That's Key West. Our island is 163.8 miles southwest of Miami. Tampa on the west coast is closer to Melbourne on the east coast (145...
Linda Grist Cunningham | Sep 8, 2017
One day before Irma “visits” and watching from Virginia
Good evening, Key West friends and strangers. It's hard to sit here in the Shenandoah Valley as my husband, the Cat 5s, our friends and strangers-soon-to-be-friends await the approach of Hurricane Irma, likely sometime tomorrow. Ed's...
Linda Grist Cunningham | Sep 8, 2017
2018 Anniversary
Hurricane Irma: 9-23-17: Closing up shop. Saying Godspeed. Going home to the Cat 5s
When we launched Key West Hurricane Irma, our online news coverage, we weren’t sure when “quit” would happen. We were confident we'd know. Today is the anniversary of knowing. It was time to wish our house guests farewell and Godspeed.
Hurricane Irma | One year ago, we awaited the storm
Why did so many decide to stay on the island, defying the mandatory Hurricane Irma evacuation orders and flirting with destruction? The answers are as complicated as the Keys. Re-reading my 2017 columns reminded me just how powerful we were as an online community. To each of you who followed along, who shared your stories and your tears, I say "thank you." It was a tough time. It's been a tough year.
Hurricane Irma | How did news coverage get so confused?
By Sept, 5, 2017, five days before Hurricane Irma battered Key West and the Florida Keys, I was swearing -- or at least muttering unpleasant comments under my breath. I was, as some will...