In terms of intensity only Michael of 2018, Charley of 2004 and Andrew of 1992 are in the same league as Ian. But Ian impacted a larger population than all three of those storms. Michael hit in the least populated portions of the state, Charley despite hitting the same exact location with almost the same exact intensity (150 MPH for both, 940 MB for Ian v 94MB for Charley), was a much smaller storm. Southeast Florida for example got no impact from Charley and the Tampa Bay area had minimal impacts.

Only 1960’s Hurricane Donna, 2004’s Frances and 2017’s Irma impacted as much of the state directly, and no storm has ever brought in a surge to populated areas like this, since maybe the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane or 1926 Miami Hurricane, if even that. Ian is a historic event which likely alters our state forever.

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Our Kartik Krishnaiyer once again was featured The New Republic, this time talking about Florida’s failed climate action policies and how Ron DeSantis went from environmentalist to climate-denier once he decided he wanted to President.

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Dailey Hits Dozier on Energy? Not So Fast.

Hurricane Ian’s once-in-500-years stormwater flooding is still ravaging much of Florida, but that didn’t stop Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey from going negative against his opponent Leon Commissioner Kristin Dozier on Thursday morning.

Dailey took to social media to smack around Dozier’s (admittedly, perhaps tepid) commitments on renewable energy, when she proclaimed support for some goals the City of Tallahassee is already ostensibly committed to like a net neutral bus fleet and 100% renewable-powered municipal facilities.

But any critique from Dailey on those fronts is highly dubious, to say the least.

Mayor Dailey had a controversial meeting with an FPL lobbyist at City Hall a few months back, despite his own disclosures that he is conflicted out of taking any official action on FPL-related items because his wife Virginia Dailey has done extensive work as a lawyer and lobbyist for the state-backed monopoly energy behemoth.

The same FPL lobbyist texted Tallahassee City Manager Reese Goad (who also comes from an electric utility background, and who was appointed by a motion from infamous local government criminal Scott Maddox) about Tallahassee’s political districts around the same time.

John Dailey simply has no leg to stand on when it comes to electric utility policy and his attack on Dozier is ugly, cynical, and ultimately self-defeating.

With FPL aggressively attempting to snatch up publicly owned muni utilities by hook or by crook as we saw recently in the still-unfolding JEA saga involving local government corruption at the highest levels, and employing some the most sinister tactics possible — here’s hoping Tallahassee voters aren’t bamboozled by FPL’s close associate John Dailey’s shallow attacks on Commissioner Dozier in the wake of a Category 4 hurricane.