It is known that strong hurricanes can make rivers run backwards, and that is exactly what happened to the Peace River in Punta Gorda on Wednesday.
The water in the river "has looked like a creek," said Cheryl Napier, a Punta Gorda resident living along Edgewater Drive on the south side of the Peace River just west of the interstate overpass.
Her 250-foot dock that normally extends well into the water was high-and-dry, she said "all day."
Napier said winds she estimated at well in excess of 100 miles per hour had been hammering her luxury home since before Ian made landfall.
A treeline along the east side of her property, mainly Australian pines, were topped off or toppled completely and palm trees were in the river-front pool.
The high winds were ripping off gutters and destroying her storm shutters in places.
Around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the winds shifted and began driving rain from the northeast.
For the time being, whiteout conditions kept Napier from seeing if the Peace River was refilling.
Clarity that the bottom of the river was visible in all but a creek-type wide stream of water. It was too far away to estimate the width, but it was most likely single-digit yards-wide
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
