Page 8 - LIN.NOVEMBER17WEB

MAYOR’S

CORNER

NOT YOUR ORDINARY WEEK
MAYOR BILL BARNETT
I f I were to turn the clock back twelve years to October 24, 2005 Midafternoon my wife Chris and I took our dog and two cats, water,

and the week leading up to that date it was almost deja-vu to snacks, etc, and checked in at the Hilton. We were with numerous
me starting on September 3, 2017. That fateful week in October City first responders, other families and many pets. After getting them
turned out to be hurricane Wilma. checked in I went back to City Hall. We knew Florida was going to
The week ahead looked to be routine. Naples in September is get hammered but the forecast was that Irma’s path was going to take
brutally hot, quiet, lots of rain and all of us wishing for mid-October her up the East Coast. Still, that hurricane was 400 miles wide and
when we step outside one morning and break out with an immediate regardless we were going to have effects.
smile because it’s cool and the humidity has gone even if it’s only for It’s now Friday about 4:30 in the afternoon. I know from Wilma
a few days we know nice weather is on the way. I was prepared for experience when my phone starts to ring and the national news media
our Wednesday City Council meeting and on Monday and Tuesday it wants to set up interviews starting tonight and continuing Saturday
was City business as usual except I was watching the weather reports and in to Sunday and Monday that was not a good sign. Each time
and ever since Wilma I watch those reports during hurricane season Irma moved a degree closer to us I ran a checklist in my head. I had all
perhaps a little closer than the average viewer would. Once our City the confidence in the world that our City Manager and his staff had
manager along with the Fire Chief started sending taken every precaution they possibly could and with
special weather reports out early that week we became Sleep was out the help of the local media our City residents had
a little more aware of hurricane Irma. Being the eternal of the question either evacuated or hunkered down to ride it out or
optimist I’m thinking the chances are slim that we will checked in at a shelter. That evening although subdued
and it was
get hit and by Wednesday Irma was one powerful storm we were ready. The lobby in the Hilton turned out to
and picking up strength as she rolled along spreading eerily quiet be a makeshift gathering place and information center
wrath and destruction in her path. I’m not going to for all of us that were staying there. I was given the use
rehash a lot of what happened because we all know the with nothing of the Concierge desk and used it for correspondence,
end result. However; with that being said, I will share updates, and sharing one phone charging station that
with you my thoughts and plans. but rain and was generator driven. Later that evening I got the
Our City and County staff and the County’s wind pounding news that I didn’t want to hear that Irma was not
Emergency Operations Center were mobilized and pre- going up the East Coast but up the center of the State
hurricane, mid hurricane and post hurricane plans were the windows. and of course that changed again to Irma was going to
put in place. Although precautionary at first it was all directly target Naples.
seriousness and every possible scenario had to be anticipated from the Saturday morning, we lost our power. It was rainy and windy and the
smallest to the largest. We had set up our own Emergency Operations city of Naples looked like a ghost town. I went to City Hall where we
Center and Our City Manager and Fire and Police operations were had a skeleton crew answering phones and trying to answer questions
working from there. that were all hurricane related. By then my phone was one constant
By late Wednesday early voluntary evacuations had started and ring. The networks all asked me basically the same question, “What is
although if Irma was going to hit Florida it wouldn’t be until late your major concern with this monster storm approaching?” My answer
Saturday or early Sunday. Governor Scott had advised everyone in remained twofold, making sure our citizens had information about what
the state of Florida to evacuate if possible and it wasn’t long before to do to be safe and storm surge. The predictions were that we could
the reports of massive traffic jams, gas shortages and the availability get from a 10 to 15-foot surge which would have been catastrophic
of rooms was zero. On the first interview with the Weather Channel for us. Meanwhile our City Manager and his staff along with Collier
on Thursday night they asked me why we hadn’t ordered mandatory County’s Emergency Operations Center were constantly updating us.
evacuation yet and I answered because if they had no set place to go it I knew what I had experienced from Wilma was not going to compare
would be more hazardous for them. I immediately had criticism by way with what was going to be expected from Irma. We had the Weather
of e-mail but I remained steadfast on that. Channel crew staying at the Hilton, along with CNN, and some of our
Friday the City and County ordered mandatory evacuation. Fire and Police First Responders. Late Saturday afternoon I went to the
I debated just staying at City Hall as I did for Wilma, but thought Edgewater Beach Hotel to do an interview update that was being done
better of it because of the projected wind strength and storm surge. at the beach. The wind was howling and bands of rain were relentlessly

8 Life in Naples | November 2017