Ian Thread Appreciation/Ian killed my Dad

I thought it important to let the many folks here who participated in the Ian thread how it affected lurkers like myself.

I retired from Talquin Electric Coop (just West of Tallahassee) a couple years ago to be with my aging parents in Largo, nestled between St Pete and Clearwater. Been watching hurricanes for 40 years, saw Michael up close and personal, and the moment I saw the Ian models about 8 days out, it scared the frick out of me. Stumbled on the Ian thread around Friday, and wished I'd known about this board 20 years ago.

My folks and I packed up what we could, expecting everything else to be gone, and went to Fort Pierce. Before we left at 6 am that Tuesday, I watched the radar and said to myself, "it's doing a Charley" (I watched the Charley turn from Tally and told my parents not to leave St Pete), but that bastard was so big, and my folks are in their 80s...

Ian does his Charley imitation, and on Thursday we have a huge sigh of relief that our houses are safe. That night my Dad has a massive brain bleed, and for the next week he is in a coma. My Mom, sister and I go through the excruciating process of watching his body die knowing the essential he, my Dad, was gone.

I hadn't been able to keep up with the Ian thread due to travel and the whirlwind of things happening, but in the hard moments of sitting in hospice next to my Dad, to pass time I would read a page or two of the Ian thread. I was most interested in how that 24 hours of landfall had transpired, but the added tidbits of compassion and well wishes really did make a difference during a very difficult time.

I thank everyone who participated in that thread, whether for information and/or compassion. Y'all fricking rock.

I will go to my grave blaming Ian for my Dad's death. Less than 24 hours after the center passed within 100 miles, his 82 year old brain ruptured. That's enough for me.

To those South of me, who weren't as lucky as I, there are not adequate words, just prayers.