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Checking in from Marco Island. We just got our power restored. LCEC expects to have 70% of the island's power restored today, but knowing their prior record, I would be willing to bet it will be 100%.

The expected surge on Marco did not occur, just as it has not in any of the previous hurricanes. Water in the canals rose to the top of the seawalls and no further. I cannot report on the beach as I have not been there yet.

There has been a bit of wind damage on the island, mostly screen cages and roofs. My own roof is now down to plywood and I lost two of four supporting pillars for the flat roof section. The remaining two pillars are leaning, which is a cause of concern. My screen cage is gone and my dock was damaged from the rising water. We did have three foot waves in the canal as Wilma tried to shove the entire bay into our canal.

The island's population is orderly and friendly with people helping one another. Our water system took damage and we are under boiling restrictions, but the national guard is here with water, ice, and MREs for those who need it.

Helicopters are overhead looking for people in trouble and surveying damage. Just about everyone has some damage, but it could have been much worse. Kudo's to those managing this emergency from the local boys up to Jeb and FEMA. Everyone seems to be doing whatever they can to help out.

I don't have cable tv and since Rosa Parks died our local news is 100% tributes --didn't even get weather or Red Wing highlights last night. I have scoured the online news for, and can't find any, info on:

Singer Island. I have a niece with relatives on the island that no one has heard from.

Flooding between Naples & Marco south of 41 -- Fiddler's Creek in particular. My Dad's stuck in Naples proper & has no idea how his home fared.

Any info would be *greatly* appreciated.

The expected surge on Marco did not occur, just as it has not in any of the previous hurricanes.

Hopefully you're aware that this is pure dumb luck; Charley was a very narrow storm with limited surge that struck north of you, and the exact center of Wilma went a hair south of you, meaning you missed the right-side surge of the storm.

Eventually Marco Island will be wiped clean; just a matter of time.

I am so glad you are ok and I am sorry to hear about any damage to your propery. It was not very bad here N. of Orlando except for tornadoes. Glad everyone is helping one another there.

Marak wrote:

"The expected surge on Marco did not occur, just as it has not in any of the previous hurricanes."

Four things protected Marco Island from Wilma's surge.

1. Wilma was accelerating as she made landfall, which can leave much of the surge behind. Very sparse anecdotal evidence tends to support this.

2. Wilma was strengthening as she made landfall. With Katrina, which was weakening at landfall, a Cat-5 surge accompanied a Cat-3 storm. Wilma demonstrated the opposite, a Cat-1 surge with a Cat-3 storm. The highest surge levels documented from anywhere in the Florida area was +5.6 feet ASL, nowhere near the projected 9 to 18 foot surges from pre-storm estimates. Wind accumulates and dissipates faster than water.

3. Wilma made a last second right hook just at landfall, placing Marco Island on the clean side of the storm. The strike geometry was especially beneficial with the curve of Wilma's right front quadrant perfectly matching Florida's concave coastlaine between Marco Island and Flamengo. As the outer eyewall made landfall, it ran inshore and parallel to the coastline all along the most dangerous arc of the storm. It couldn't push water onto the land, because it wasn't over ocean to begin with.

4. The old legend which protects Marco Island is still in effect, and now, will never die.

Very happy you are safe, powered up, and in good spirits. Gotta love those linemen. They are awesome!

...and the sound of chainsaws is comforting music after a storm.