the kaluza hatchie river, which is behind me here is pretty much at this point just blended into this street. there's really no way to know exactly where river kind of stands because the pier the beach area over there, that's at this point all of the water is just coming through on this side. as you talked about, a hurricane ian two years ago, this part of fort myers saw a storm surge with a direct landfall of about ten feet. of course, we're not going to those kind of numbers because the storm has already to the north of us. but the next couple of hours are really going to be difficult and they're going to be telling because that storm surge could be anywhere between eight to nine to ten feet. and we're not going to really get a sense of just how much of this flooding is going to happen until tomorrow morning, because that's what we expect high tide to take place. that's when we expect all of the flooding for parts of central florida to make its way down the kaluza had your river where i'm at and then that's kind of what you're seeing here. we i've been describing it as a confluence

so we are in downtown fort myers, live along the kaluza hatchie river where just two years ago, hurricane really made a mess of things out here. the concern at this hour for the folks that live across southwest florida is the storm surge that we're going to to see because of hurricane milton right now, we're looking at anywhere between eight to 12 feet of storm surge depending on exactly where this hurricane ends up tracking everything here behind me along the kaluza hatchie is going to flood if these forecasted storm surge a holds a large part of the reason that this takes place is because the kaluza hatchie river runs from lake okeechobee in central florida out into the gulf of mexico. and so that kind of topography really allows itself. it lends itself for the fact that when all of this water begins to rush in from the gulf of mexico, when you add in all of the rainfall that's expected to hit this part of southwest florida. and then you throw in a high tide that water has nowhere to go. and so the river itself serves as a funnel and then at some point without anywhere else to go, the w

all this water right now is coming from the kaluza hatchie river, which is to my left here. it's really difficult to see because it's just it's nightfall out here and it's pretty dark because we've lost some power in the area, but that water right now has started to breach the seawall. and so it is just pushing its way into fort myers. as you said, this part of fort myers was destroyed, was flooded out by i hurricane ian in 2022. this part of lee county, i was covering right after the hurricane hit and all of this was under at the time about ten feet of storm surge and so what we're expecting the next couple of hours and into tomorrow is more of this flooding we're expected to see anywhere right now, at least according to the forecast, is between eight to maybe 12 feet of storm surge when everything is said and done, anderson, to give you some context and perspective, hurricane ian again made a direct landfall here in lee county and the storm surge was well over ten feet across this part of lee county. and the storm which is going point to make landfall where you are to the

it is right next to the kaluza hatchie river which just about 20 minutes or so ago when i went over there to take a look at it, it has started breach that water is now starting to come in and a lot of this is happening because as this storm continues to make its way north, it is pushing that water from the gulf of mexico up into the kaluza hatchie river. and then you've got all of that rainfall. that's coming down from lake okeechobee coming down from central florida. and those two forces are coming together at this one and location. and in fact, just on the other side of the river out here, i can see the lights of transformers that are blowing and the two other things that have happened here in fort myers since we've been here for the better part of the day, is there were two tornadoes, at least we believe two tornadoes hit one just to the other side of we are it's about a ten to 15 minute drive tornado there hit a neighborhood homes. there were damaged and now they're dealing with these floodwaters, which as you can see, will last well into the night and into tomorrow morning yeah, erin

it's called the kaluza hatchie and it goes out into the gulf of mexico and it also goes into lake okeechobee in the central part of florida. as that storm surge moves through, again, anywhere between 16 to ten feet as the six to a foot of rain falls and has all of that wind moves through that river is going to crash, that is going to overflow. and so what you're going to see is all of that water well, rushing to where we are right now. and that is the big concern for the folks in this part of fort myers, boris much for that update. i want to go back to a moment ago when we were describing how difficult it is for community to recover from two major hurricanes so close to each other. and the amount of debris that there is scattered, not only here on treasure island, but across the western coast of florida i'm joined now by dan whelan. he's the vice president of operations for college honks. you folks help to remove debris and move around the sort of stuff that comes loose after hurricanes. i'm wondering what you make of what we've seen around the community with so many piles like this. and the

are to give you a sense of exactly are located shan earlier today, i was live kinda closer to the kaluza hatchie river back there. we're keeping a close eye on it because we expect that that river is going to overflow. and at some point begin pushing in with storm surge, right now of anywhere between eight to 12 feet. so as all of that played out, we made the decision to go ahead and make our way a little bit closer, more inland away from the river. and then there was a break in the weather. and now we're starting to hear some reports of some damage to some homes in one neighborhood again, not too far from where we are it's just about ten to 15 minute drive from this location. whether that was a confirmed tornado or just a strong burst of wind. of course, the national weather service out here will be the ones that will have to determine that as for why we pick this location to cover hurricane milton, a two years ago, i was out here for hurricane ian and this part of lee county was destroyed. it was underwater, and the storm surge two years ago ten feet, and that was a direct landfall. an

ago, hurricane ian made a direct landfall here in lee county and the area behind me here along the kaluza hatchie river, the storm surge was about ten feet and so everything that you're looking at here behind me was flooded, was damaged or destroyed by hurricane ian with current with milton's current forecast, we're still looking at anywhere between eight to 12 feet of storm surge. and that storm is feel right now, track to go a little bit north of where we are. so the folks here in fort myers and down in fort myers beach and over in sanibel, they're getting ready essentially for the possibility of a repeat in terms of the storm surge and the flooding that we are going to see we spent the day yesterday over in the downtown part here of the city folks there put up plywood, they had sandbags. they were trying to do everything as much as they can in an effort to try to keep a lot of this water out. a one final note, john, for me over on fort myers beach. i was there yesterday. it is a ghost town. the folks there were told to evacuate earlier this week and the city, the town there is now unde

>> you can may behind me a whole lot because there's no power and the winds and the rain, but the kaluza hatchie river runs parallel to where we're going live for right now. and that river really started a breaching hours ago. and so at this point as far as i can see from where i live right now, all of this water is being pulled wish to this way by the storm surge that's coming in from the gulf of mexico. and what's happening out here is we're seeing the rainfall, we're seeing the flooding, we're seeing the storm surge. it's all coming together ahead of high tide. and so the concern going into the storm was going to be the surge because of all of this out on fort myers beach and down in collier county and people's a whole lot better all right. >> things aren't a whole lot better there naples, we're told is about five-and-a-half feet and over in fort myers, we are told that that number is close to about 4.5 to five feet. again, we expect that if that forecast holds, that we could see anywhere between eight feet to 12 feet of a storm surge i haven't covered hurricane ian, uh, two years ago

. >> and so boris, part of the concern is the kaluza hatchie river, which is just on the other side of where we are. if that flood storm surge hits the water, there is going to crash. it is going through i have to go somewhere and it is going to push into this part of downtown fort myers, morris that's region who have heard the warnings, who are on the way out. >> they have to get as far as possible from areas like that river because that storm surge is one of the most concerning aspects to hurricane milton carlos suarez live from fort myers we want to discuss the potential effects from this hurricane with the city manager of clearwater, florida, jennifer poyer joins us now. jennifer, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us. talk to us about your biggest concerns for your community, your only about 35 minutes or so from where i am right that's correct our biggest concern is just that those that are in an evacuation zone that has been announced required to evacuate, which is a b and level c that you do. >> so now is the time to get out please do not wait. that's the

. >> the concern with this storm surge is the kaluza hatchie river, which is just on the other side of where we are our behind that building. that river connects out into the gulf of mexico and legal cucho be in central florida. so the concern is that when we get all of this rainfall between six inches to a foot of it, you get high tide and then you get the storm surge pushing in that river is going to overflow. it is going to crest and all of that water is going to push into where we are, which is the concern that folks are having. and right now, everyone is getting ready, the waiting game begins and the hope is that the storm continues its track north of here, and that the impact that we're going to see in fort myers won't be as great as what we saw during hurricane ian dana and carlos. >> it looks pretty quiet where you are, but we did see some people walking behind you, somebody riding her bike as you were speaking, just one car which leads me to ask you how seriously are the people they're taking the evacuation? shan orders i'd argue considering the fact that i cover hurricane ian