Won't the Everglades take the brunt of Irma?

[Alhena]

Looking at the map of Florida, the part of the state where Irma is set to hit is nothing but Everglades. Sorry for the environmental damage, but that seems like the best possible result for Florida residents. Plus, I expect the Everglades evolved to deal with just this scenario.

[cwydro]

1. The storm is huge. It will cover Florida.

The Everglades will do nothing to diminish it because the Everglades are essentially just water.

It's predicted to cover both sides of the state while moving up the peninsula.

[MineralMan]

2. No, it won't. Irma is far too large and powerful for that.

The Everglades will be damaged, but it won't stop Irma from wreaking havoc on the rest of the state. Irma will just keep right on going.

[Kolesar]

3. Sure that it will kill a lot of the birds and other wildlife

It could take decades to recover. That habitat is already distressed by water diversions and pollution.

Is everybody else freaked out right now? Three hurricanes and a million young'uns being run out of the country. A bigger dumbass than Bush has to make decisions about Korea. Gas shortages, recession, unemployment, heartbreak...

[MuseRider]

9. Totally freaked out here.

Kansas of course is safe, lol. We deal with our tornados but this is such a different deal. I had friends in and around Houston who lost a lot and will take years to recover unless they just decide to leave and go elsewhere.

I had "friends", people I sort of knew but people I cared about all over an island that I loved beyond any other place that lost everything, the island is destroyed.

I have friends in Florida, a few who left and are back here visiting family during Irma and some who are still there and not leaving.

I AM totally freaked out. My son's have to live in this world of super storms, among so many other things we are creating and not fixing. My first grandchild who will be born around Thanksgiving will have to live in this mess.

Trump may make sure none of them or us live well from this point on unless we are one of the very wealthy but even they cannot avoid what happens to our planet.

It is kind of hitting me today as I watch this, after Irma went through the BVI I have been very depressed about it all. I can usually find some reason to not feel this way but these last 10 months have just made it almost impossible.

[Kolesar]

12. This isn't right. It's all off kilter.

Thanks for checking in. I have classmates who moved to Florida decades ago and I only see them in our Class of 78 Facebook group. Hope your friends fare well.

[MuseRider]

14. It's all off kilter.

That is so simply said and absolutely perfect.

[rzemanfl]

4. Everglades are mostly warm water. Fuel for the beast. n/t

[GoCubsGo]

5. And, a lot of the remainder is sitting on ex-Everglades.

They drained it and built on it. Once a wetland, always a wetland, as tens of thousands of people are going to find out the hard way, when their property floods. Mother Nature always reclaims what is hers. Besides, a lot of the damage will be wind damage, and there's nothing a sawgrass wetland of any size can do to mitigate that.

[csziggy]

7. Irma could be the best thing that every happened to the Everglades

Yes, a lot of damage will be done to the trees and plants and a lot of animals will die.

BUT if the system of canals and dikes that were used to drain large parts of former Everglades are destroyed, the enclosure of Lake Okeechobee dismantled, and people are discouraged from living in places that should be wetlands, maybe the cost of restoring all those misbegotten projects will be too great and the Everglades will be left to restore its natural condition. Of course, with predicted sea level rise, that will be a temporary thing as salt water infiltrates the now fresh and brackish waters of most of the swamp, but it could give the wildlife some chance of surviving until humans get better at managing the planet without destroying it.

[GoCubsGo]

13. Yep. I'm hoping the damn pythons all drown.

The water management districts have been working on restorations for decades, and some of the canals and dikes have been removed already. Much of the native flora and fauna is adapted to hurricanes, etc, and I suspect they will fare better than a lot of the invasive species. Knocking back the invasive populations will also benefit the native species. But, I do worry about some of the bigger species, like the Florida panthers and Key deer. Things could get rough for them.

[csziggy]

17. All the restoration efforts have been underfunded since they began

So maybe nature will restore things. It would be wonderful if the pythons and other invasive species are knocked out, but as with fire ants, I suspect many will do as well as if not better than some of the native ones. The Key deer may be doomed since they are already on the edge of extinction. Panthers might surprise us - they know how to take shelter in the hammocks which have denser vegetation.

This will definitely be a whole new era for the Everglades - Irma will change everything.

[HAB911]

6. There is nothing in the Everglades but hot water

no hills, no land, it will make it stronger

[titaniumsalute]

8. It won't make it stronger...but it won't weaken it very much

The moisture level is still much lower in the everglades than open water.

[Baclava]

10. Here's a model run of what you are describing, Miami still gets the right side eyewall - it's huge

?w=800&h=604

[lunatica]

11. The everglades are mostly water and won't even phase the hurricane

[snowybirdie]

15. You'd be surprised

how many people live right up to the edge of the glades. Lots of housing complexes built in the past several years.

[BigmanPigman]

16. Do alligators survive hurricanes well? Their physical design is basically

like that of prehistoric animals and can withstand just about any environment. I assume they are similar to the rats in NYC after Sandy, they will find a way to stay safe and ride it out. I just hope they don't eat too many pets and other animals that are not able to swim well.

[earthshine]

18. I read somewhere today that the huge pythons now inhabiting the Everglades were freed

from the facility in which they were housed by a previous hurricane.

In terms of evolving, this is "unnatural selection."