Irma was my first major hurricane since coming to the Florida Gulf Coast six years ago. Before moving to southwest Florida, I had direct experience with one hurricane - Agnes in 1972. That storm stalled over the Northeast and spawned heavy rains, causing the Susquehanna River to spill its banks. The Wyoming Valley, especially the city of Wilkes-Barre, suffered heavy flooding.

After I arrived in South Florida, some fellow northeasterners who preceded me warned that while some hurricanes can stall and dump huge amounts of rain over an area like Agnes did 45 years ago, the severe weather one might experience in Florida is a totally different animal. Devastating Gulf hurricanes like Charlie in 2004 and Wilma in 2005 were still fresh in their minds.A storm with the power and size of Irma presented a triple threat to southwest Florida - hurricane winds, a potentially powerful storm surge and heavy rains that produce widespread flooding.Before experiencing Irma, I had heard that the sound of a tornado or major hurricane resembled the rumble of a freight train. Now I know what they meant.After evacuating my home, I found refuge in the gymnasium of a community shelter with about 400 other evacuees. Comparing the sound of Irma to a train proved accurate except that the train didn't quickly pass by; the roaring sound continued for over an hour!Although visibility was limited, we were able to view some of the immense power of the storm outside the hallway glass windows and doors. The sight of trees bending and the debris flying through the air, along with those locomotive sounds, were unnerving.Although my home was not shuttered or sandbagged and was right in Irma's path, I was fortunate not to have suffered any major property loss.My biggest hardship was being without power for 10 days.Many of my neighbors who did a better job preparing their homes for the storm, however, had to gut their homes due to flooding. Their recovery will be slow and costly.One neighbor showed me video of the storm on his camera phone as it roared through our neighborhood at an estimated 100 mph. Seeing what I would have endured had I decided to remain in my home was beyond scary.A friend of mine who endured Hurricane Charlie decided he and his wife would ride this storm out like he did in 2004. The difference was that Charlie was a quick-hitter while Irma took much longer to pass through due to her immense size.My friend said he will never again try to ride out a major storm like Irma in his home.Florida's tourism economy will take a hit this year. Last year, 112 million visited the Sunshine state, a 33 percent increase over the previous decade.The Florida Keys, a famous tourist destination, suffered the worst of the damage in the U.S. from Irma.Despite the setback from Irma, Florida's population will continue to grow. Fueled by retiring baby boomers, the number of Floridians is projected to hit 30 million by 2030. The building industry in southwest Florida is literally through the roof.Before Irma, the state was adding nearly 1,000 residents a day. There were 333,471 that arrived in the past year, roughly the size of Pittsburgh.A tourism slogan of one local real estate agent boasts that Florida is a place for sunshine, sand and lifestyle.If only we could eliminate the fearsome sounds of the roaring train and pounding rains during hurricane season, southwest Florida's Gulf Coast could certainly boast a lifestyle that is second to none.By Jim Zbick |

tneditor@tnonline.com