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Floridians are facing devastating scenes after Hurricane Ian, one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S., swept across the state.
The storm, which made landfall in southwest Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane Wednesday, flooded numerous buildings and streets, ripped off roofs, left people trapped in their homes and knocked out power to millions of residents.
100% solar-powered Babcock Ranch endures Hurricane Ian with no loss of power
Have you ever heard of Babcock Ranch? Located only 12 miles (19.31 km) northeast of Fort Myers, Florida, Babcock Ranch calls itself “America’s first solar-powered town.” And this town has proven how durable it is.
Babcock Ranch is made up of 700 thousand individual panels, which generates more electricity than the 2000-home neighborhood uses. The streets were built to flood so houses wouldn’t. Along roadways, native landscaping aids with stormwater management. In order to prevent wind damage, power and internet lines are buried. In addition to all of this, Florida’s strict building regulations were followed The storm uprooted trees and ripped shingles from roofs, but there is no major damage.
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Image courtesy GIORGIO VIERA/AFP and BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images and Kitson & Partners
2022-10-06