CAPE CORAL, Mich. — FOX 17 is talking with Michiganders who are experiencing Hurricane Ian firsthand.
Paula Dixon is from Byron Center originally. She moved down to Cape Coral several years ago.
“Our neighborhood’s beat up pretty bad. There’s a lot of people that are missing the shingles out there, roof sidings off their house, power lines are down,” Dixon explained to FOX 17 Wednesday. “Well, we’re all hunkered down here, pretty secure. We prepared ourselves for it. We’ve got plenty of water.”
Dixon says Ian isn’t her first hurricane.
“We were here for Irma, and they told us to evacuate then, too, and it wasn’t as bad as this time.”
When asked if her kids told her to leave, Dixon replied: “I would like to tell my son Aaron that yes, ‘I probably should have listened to you, bud.’”
We also talked with Boyd Feltman who is from the Holland area. He’s in North Port, which is about 50 miles north of Fort Meyers.
“I can show you out front here. See, the trees are bending out front. I will not open this screen door because I think it’ll take it right out of my hands,” Feltman showed FOX 17 via Zoom Wednesday. “I felt prepared for it. Well-built house.”
Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter said the following about preparations for Hurricane Ian: “Our emergency operation center will have strategic teams and assessment teams that will be deployed throughout the city. We have a plan in place. We are just waiting to get through the next six-seven hours.”
Dixon, her husband and her brother say they’re staying inside as Ian continues to throw its worst at them.
“I will not stay for another one,” Dixon said. “I mean, you think of tornadoes in Michigan, and this is nothing compared to that.”
Dixon added that they have not experienced any water surges because their home backs up to a freshwater canal.
Thankfully, she and her family made sure to have enough supplies ahead of Ian’s arrival.
