Hurricane Ian: A Conversation with Juan Benitez

BY MAGGIE OLIVE KLEIN
KONKLIFE STAFF WRITER 

As we all know and are currently experiencing, Hurricane Ian is causing some devastation and fatalities. The hurricane has caused coastal flooding in the Lower and Middle Keys, and steadily increased coastal flooding in the Upper Keys, as of Wednesday night and Thursday. The flooding is expected to recede Friday night and early Saturday, according to information regarding Hurricane Ian on the Monroe County official website. As of early Wednesday, a storm surge warning is in effect in the Lower Keys, due to a tide gauge at Key West recording a water level about 2.5 feet above normal. Many streets have become impassable with water into the ground floor of some houses and buildings, with emphasis on those in lower elevation areas, which causes concern for those that own properties. 

Juan Benitez, a Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Key West Compass Realty, is urging locals and property owners to not only check on the status of their properties, but that of their friends, neighbors, clients, and out-of-towners as well. He says, “I’ve been checking on a lot of people, checking houses and seeing the status of my listings to see how they are holding up. This is a part of my culture; I am always looking to help any and everybody. For me this is a lot to do with relationships and connections.” Benitez has been very busy lately, checking on a plethora of properties, as well as his loved ones’ well beings, and keeping up to date with what is posted on Facebook, or any other social media platform. He says, “There have been a lot of things on Facebook, showing a lot of damage around the Keys. Mostly minor, thankfully, mostly trees and some flooding here and there. But this was a very messy storm. And from what I was seeing around 10 on Tuesday, it looks like it was going to hit even closer.” He continues to note that so far, the storm has probably given the Keys conditions of a category 1 or 2 storm, even though it was a 3 or 4 where it hit. 

Benitez, as the optimistic young man that he is, mentions that, in hindsight, the storm could have been way worse. He continues to shed light on the situation with, “The Keys have a very strong sense of community and are always helping each other. Some areas are suffering from the hurricane worse than others, so we need to be sure to help everyone to the best of our ability.” Thank you, Benitez, for your informative chat, and your positivity!

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