Hurricane Irma was the strongest storm to hit Florida in 12 years, and it impacted nearly the entire state -- from wind damage and storm surge, to evacuations, gas shortages and of course the loss of power for millions.
Our partner station in Miami WLRN pulled together reports from public stations all across the state to give you an idea of the scope of Irma’s impact and what we can learn from it.
This week on Florida Matters we’re listening to highlights from the program “After Hurricane Irma” hosted by WLRN’s Tom Hudson.
In the first part of our show we hear how one reporter experienced the storm and its aftermath just miles from where the eye first came ashore. We also learn more about Irma’s impact on agriculture and how storm surge caused record-breaking floods in parts of the state.
Irma did not manage to break the string of years two major Florida cities have escaped a direct hit. Miami was last a target in 1926; for Tampa, 1921.
In the second half of our show we’ll hear from Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn about how their cities fared this time around and lessons learned from Irma.
You can hear the full two-hour version of WLRN’s After Hurricane Irma program by clicking here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.
Keep the conversation going about what life has been like for you after Hurricane Irma on our Facebook page, on Twitter or by emailing FloridaMatters@wusf.org.
