美国国家公共电台 NPR--Even though Ian is no longer a hurricane, flooding is still a major problem

Even though Ian is no longer a hurricane, flooding is still a major problem

Transcript¹

After roaring ashore² as a powerful category 4 hurricane, Ian has been losing steam. People on Florida's Gulf³ coast are beginning to assess the damage from the storm.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Ian has been downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm, but that hasn't stopped it from moving across the state of Florida, blowing heavy winds, dumping rain and causing floods. People on Florida's Gulf Coast are just beginning to go out to assess the damage, including emergency workers in some areas who until now couldn't respond to calls for help. Millions of homes and businesses are without power, a number that's likely to grow as Ian continues its path across the peninsula. NPR's Greg Allen joins us now from St. Petersburg. Hi, Greg.

GREG ALLEN, BYLINE⁴: Hi, Leila.

FADEL: So what areas were hit hardest?

ALLEN: Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa, an island just off Fort Myers. And then there was a second landfall when it came onto the mainland near Port Punta Gorda. Those, as it happens, are the same places that Hurricane Charley came ashore in 2004. And damage assessments⁵, as you note, have yet to come in, but during the storm, we heard reports and saw videos of a massive storm surge in beachfront communities in Naples and Fort Myers. Crews today will be checking neighborhoods like Cape⁶ Coral and Englewood. All those areas didn't just get a big storm surge. They also took a beating from the super high winds for hours as Ian slowly moved inland. And there will be wind and surge damage all the way up the Gulf Coast in Sarasota and as far north as St. Petersburg.

FADEL: So did people listen to those evacuation orders and get out before the storm hit?

ALLEN: I think mostly they did. Many people in this area, as I mentioned, experienced Hurricane Charley nearly 20 years ago. They know the dangers of these storms. But there clearly were people who did not evacuate⁷. It was too dangerous yesterday during the storm for crews to respond to calls for help. And officials aren't sure how many may need it even today. The 911 call center was down in Lee County for a time, one of the places that was hit hardest. And today, search and rescue teams will be going door to door through neighborhoods and offering help to those who need it.

FADEL: OK, so now that the storm is downgraded, does that mean the worst is over?

ALLEN: Well, now the storm is in central Florida and moving slowly. It's not expected to leave the state and go to the Atlantic until this afternoon some time. But meteorologists and emergency managers say Ian is still very dangerous. The problem isn't wind now so much as flooding from extreme rainfall. Some areas in central and northeast Florida are already getting these heavy downpours, and they may see more than 2 feet total. We're getting reports of flooding in the Orlando area now. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says Ian is affecting more than just the Gulf Coast.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

RON DESANTIS: But the fact is there's going to be damage throughout the whole state, and people in other parts of the state - be prepared for some impacts. And you are seeing counties in different parts of the state issue evacuation orders.

ALLEN: Many of those counties are in northeast Florida up near Jacksonville.

FADEL: So all in all, we won't know the true extent of the damage of this storm for a while, but we do know millions are already without power. Any indication of when that will be restored?

ALLEN: Well, work is beginning immediately. Utility officials say they have more than 40,000 workers who are going out today. The effort will begin in communities where the winds have dropped enough and the crews can get into because the first step will be clearing the roads, many of which are still blocked. The head of Florida Power & Light, the state's largest utility, warned that there's likely to be structural⁸ damage, and it will take days or weeks to repair that. The company is putting out a large drone today. They're sending it out - that's larger than a private plane - to begin assessing the damage. And more power outages are expected as Ian moves across the state.

FADEL: So with 150 miles per hour winds, I mean, Ian - it must be one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit Florida, right?

ALLEN: Right. It's tied for fifth as the most powerful storm ever to hit the Florida peninsula, behind the 1935 Labor⁹ Day hurricane and hurricanes Andrew and Michael.

FADEL: Thanks. That's NPR's Greg Allen in St. Petersburg.

ALLEN: You're welcome.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句

6 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

7 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

8 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。