Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach were always in trouble. I’m more curious about what is happening behind the barrier islands. Especially in the very dense residential areas of Cape Coral.
There are still important data to collect for research purposes. As the models get finer and finer resolution, there needs to be observational checks on their output.
I hate to make this point, but we seem to have already escaped the worst-case scenario. If Ian took the track into St. Pete/Clearwater, the surge up Tampa Bay would have been intense. With the storm slipping south, it'll be bad, but not top-tier.
The 06z HWRF is clearly the worst case scenario with the water funneling up Tampa Bay. But it seems to be on the west side of guidance now. Anything that leaves Tampa on the north side of landfall (Sarasota, Venice) would avert a much larger disaster.