While Ian was the first hurricane Matt Hoyles experienced, Northwest Ohio native Robin Gates saw more than she could count and said this one was the worst.
TOLEDO, Ohio – Matt Hoiles is well known in Northwest Ohio as a softball coach. After taking a job in Florida a few months ago, he expected plenty of sunshine and was prepared for seasonal hurricanes, but he had never experienced weather like Hurricane Ian.
“We’ve enjoyed our experience here, but the weather is awesome,” Hoyles said. “We try to stay as safe as possible.”
Ex Elmwood Coach is currently staying with friends in Kissimmee, Florida and expects to return home on Saturday. Until then, he’s anticipating it and anticipating the potential damage Yang will cause.
“We’re hoping for the best, we don’t know what we’re going to get,” Hoyles said. “Everything we’ve got has been tied up. We won’t know until we get back on Saturday.”
Robin Gates lived in Florida for many years after moving from northwest Ohio. She said hurricanes are a regular part of her life in Cape Coral, but they still require planning.
“We’re doing well,” Gates said. “We have a generator that keeps our fridge cold, keeps our cell phones charged and tries to keep up with the weather forecast.”
But she said it’s hard to keep up with the aftermath of the hurricane when the power is out and reception is spotty.
“When you’re connected, you’re connected, and you can stay on top of things,” Gates said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have access to that. Our Wi-Fi is down. We’ve lost power. We’re just watching what’s going on out the back door and out the back window.”
As of 10 p.m. Wednesday, Hoyles and Gates said they were doing well, and Gates said the water in Cape Coral was slowly receding.
https://www.wtol.com/article/weather/hurricane/hurricane-ian-northwest-ohio-natives-elmwood-softball-coach/512-ea093477-a7c8-4962-948e-e7c6eb0751bd
