This “Judgmental Map” of St John is hilarious and spot-on

By Last updated Dec 31, 2020

For most in South Florida, Hurricane Irma will be remembered as a dodged bullet.

A storm that devastated other parts of the world and the state missed us on the mainland.

But for select pockets of people, Irma is the worst hurricane they have ever experienced.

One of those unfortunate few is Mark Weiss.

Weiss is from St John and is no stranger to hurricanes.

As a dentist, he lives on the coastal waterway in the Keystone Point neighborhood of North St John.

During Irma, he and his family evacuated about 20 minutes north to Davie, FL, where they rode the storm at his sister’s home.

When he finally got home a few days after Irma’s arrival in Florida, Weiss was shocked at what he found.

The extent of the damage to Mark Weiss’ house. He estimates it could cost him around $ 100,000. Photo: RISE NEWS

Weiss’ boat was left intact during Irma, but the wooden dock wasn’t so lucky. Photo: RISE NEWS.

The line of debris and seaweed shows how high the water was on his property during Hurricane Irma. Photo: RISE NEWS

During the storm, a concrete slab was split in two. Photo: RISE NEWS

The dam that protects his house from being eroded in the water was completely destroyed. Its dock was destroyed and a large piece of concrete painted like a basketball court was strapped into the air.

“It looks like someone dropped a bomb on my backyard,” said a still stunned Weiss RISE NEWSjust over an hour after returning home. “I expected to lose the dock, but I didn’t expect it.”

His boat was still as secured as he had left it and there was no damage.

But the broken dam was what caught his attention.

“That’s the piece you pay for living here,” said Weiss. “We plan and God laughs and sees how resilient we are.

Weiss said the dam is not covered by his insurance as it is technically not on his property.

Read more: Senator tries to use the connection with the FPL lobbyist to activate the power supply for her family according to Irma

He estimates rebuilding the seawall will cost him around $ 100,000.

And if he doesn’t rebuild the dam, there is a risk that the house will erode into the water.

In terms of personal cost, Irma will be the worst hurricane his family has ever faced.

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A few blocks from Weiss in the same area as Keystone Point, Edwin Birotte was investigating the damage to his property.

He and his wife Maria stayed in their house during Irma.

They regret their stay.

“If I had a second opportunity, I would go,” said Birotte. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of tornadoes got through here just because of the damage.”

One of the most damaged lots in South Florida was wooden fences.

But Birotte’s fence damage was extremely high.

At over 100 feet long and six feet high, its fence was perfectly level in the storm.

Birotte was born in New Jersey and lived in Queens for many years so Irma was a very strange experience.

“It’s scared for your life for about 20 hours in a row,” said Birotte. “Every 15 minutes or so we would run to the bathroom to hide during the tornado warnings.”

He expects his insurance to cover the cost of the fence.