We wish all our readers a great weekend. Sending some sun from Florida as well,
 
The SEABIM Team

We are convinced that by the end of October 2022 Cape Coral will look much better and life will almost be back to normal. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our guests who are very patient. At the moment we have hardly any cancellations for the months of November 2022 - March 2023. It is quite the opposite, we receive numerous inquiries for vacation homes in Cape Coral, but we have to put them off at the moment until the whole situation regarding our homes is clearer.
 
We expect, in a few weeks guests will be able to enjoy a mostly normal vacation in our Seabim vacation homes again.

Thank you for loyalty and support.
 
The SEABIM Team

Update 15
Oct 4, 2022, afternoon

Dear owners, dear guests,

Six days ago, on Sep 29, 2022, hurricane Ian hit our area pretty bad. However, it is only six days ago and we already can see a lot of progress. The biggest issue for us is the lack of power. Most homes in Cape Coral still do not have power. The cell phone system is better now and therefore is the communication – not good but at least better. At the moment we have internet as long as the generator runs. Still problematic to get fuel for it, though.

We are working on a list to put together the homes that will be ready for vacation soon. Then our guests can make decision on how to proceed. We do not know yet how fast we will have the list put together. Based on the list we will be able to inform our guests which houses are available. This applies to already existing bookings as well as the numerous new inquiries we receive daily. Please be patient with us.
 
There are a few homes, especially the newer ones, that have almost no damage (except damaged cages and salt water in the pool). After removal of debris and cage, we will be able to rent out these homes without a cage. Coming into winter season a cage is of little relevance anyway. Of course, pool water exchange has to be done first and the power needs to be back on.

We are in contact with guests who are still in Florida (some of them did not leave and are staying in their booked vacation home) as well as with guests who were supposed to arrive in October. We ask guests arriving in November for a few more days if possible, before they get in touch with us. We also ask all guests scheduled for arrivals after November 2022 to wait for more detailed information and updates. At this time, we cannot say when arrivals will be possible again. Most homes are connected to water now, but almost none has power. Pools are unusable and need to be cleaned up after power is back. At the moment, we think that several homes could be available again in November. Important: Whenever a vacation home will be available, we expect our guests to have a good vacation. Stores will be open, etc. Most likely, they will only see very little of the damages.

If there are deposits due in October please do not pay them. Get in touch with Lars instead.

During the last days many guests asked how they can support us.

• Stay up to date with our progress. Like and follow us on our social media channels. Here are the links: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER
• Please be patient, especially if you have booked a house with us starting November 2022 or the following months. It is too early to cancel. First we have to see what the general situation is and secondly we have to evaluate the condition of our homes.

Owners are in the process of contacting their insurance company or insurance broker to file a claim. If you did not do so yet please start immediately. Several of our home owners will arrive in Cape Coral within the next days to take care of their homes and help to clean up the house, let air into the house, deal with adjusters / insurance, etc. Any support is welcome and appreciated. We are still working on sending our owners pictures of their homes and information about the home conditions. However, this is still difficult because of the technical circumstances we are facing.
 
As soon as things change we will post them online here on our blog. Communication is best through our Seabim blog. Please read the newest blog posts first before contacting us. This helps limiting the amount of emails we get. If there is no answer to your question please feel free to send an email anytime.
 
After hurricane Ian one of our homes had fishes in the pool …

We expect that many homes will be OK soon and guests can enjoy a fantastic vacation. Most likely cages will not be there but a cage is of little relevance anyway during winter. We will keep you updated through this blog and our social media channels Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
 
Thank you for loyalty and support.
 
The SEABIM Team

 

Update 14
Oct 4, 2022, morning

Southwest Florida International Airport will be opening on Oct. 5!

Limited commercial flights starting Wednesday, Oct 5, 2022. Please check before coming to the airport.

More infos:
www.flylcpa.com/alert/

The SEABIM Team

Update 13
Oct 2, 2022, morning

Dear owners, dear guests,
 
A quick Sunday morning update. Most areas are still facing no electricity and no water. Internet is partially possible, but only if you get electricity or produce electricity yourself with a generator (at least for a few hours). Our cell service is still spotty at best (sending pictures is difficult / almost impossible). In the meantime we have checked on most of our houses, but due to the technical circumstances we can only partly compile and forward the information and pictures. However, we are working on it.
 
Based on our experience with previous hurricanes, we believe Cape Coral or all of Southwest Florida will recover sooner than anyone can imagine now. It has only been a few days since Ian hit us. Florida is prepared for situations like these and everybody is working full force to clean up, restore or rebuild. We are convinced that in a few weeks everything will look completely different. Therefore, we advise only those guests arriving in October not to come. It is way too early to determine how the situation will be in November, December or the following months. Do not cancel your vacation prematurely, but wait and see how everything will develop. We will publish regular updates on our blog, giving our impression of the situation.
 
Some good news:
It seems that several homes have not been flooded and that not all homes have severe damages. There are even homes with cages that look good.
 
We are honored that in these tough times guests send new rental inquiries (even for October 2022) and that new bookings have already been made. We would like to thank these guests for their trust in us.
 
The SEABIM Team

Update 12
Oct 1, 2022, early morning

Dear owners, dear guests,

First, we ask everybody for PATIENCE. The situation is very difficult and we have not been able to see all homes yet. We receive hundreds of emails but cannot answer all of them (we try our best though). Our Seabim team member Lars is in Germany and able to communicate with guests and owners by email sent through this website. However, even for him communication with the Seabim team in Cape Coral is very difficult and many questions cannot be answered by him. We understand that every single owner and guest wants to know about their houses and their bookings. But you have to imagine in what situation we are in. Please follow this blog post regularly for updates.

Vacationers: 
We do not know when next renter arrival will be possible. Do not travel to us before you got okay. At this moment NO home can be used for vacation. No power, no water, no pool, probably no pool cage, no communication, blocked roads, low hanging wires, no traffic lights, almost no fuel, limited groceries. If open, mostly only cash payment is possible. We get more info to you when we can. Again, please be patient and give us some time to figure out the situation so that we can inform everybody as soon as possible. Refunds: We have to deal with this at a later point. It is just not possible at the moment. All monies are in escrow so no need to worry. We do not know yet how fast Florida will recover and homes will be ready for you to enjoy a fantastic vacation. But we are hopeful that it does not take too long. Please keep in mind that Hurricane Ian was just 2-3 days ago. It is much too early to make decisions now. All vacation guests supposed to arrive in October 2022 should get in touch with Lars.

When sending emails to us please always include your name, the house and the dates you have booked in the subject line. Thank you!
 
Owners: 
We take photos but it is very difficult and almost impossible to send pictures, neither by email nor by text (phone). We are trying to assess all properties. This is extremely difficult because of extensive damage. In general: newer and higher built homes have only little damage as it seems (if no tree in roof or cage etc.). Older homes in South Cape Coral usually have flood damage inside the house from between about 1-14" of dirty water. Now, a brownish slippery substance remains. Baseboards, furniture and cabinets look mostly good but will not for long because they are wet. Which is true for everything made of wood, plywood, etc. Almost all pool cages are lost. Many boat docks are damaged, some are just gone. IMPORTANT: we have called one dwelling and one flood insurance and got through to one after one hour. Flood insurance cannot be reached within two hours. Owners need to look for insurance papers and start the claims. This is important so that adjusters can be assigned to the properties. Keep us posted via email to office15@seabim.com. After we can work on computers again, we are able to access these emails. Adjusters should TEXT to Heimo' s personal cell phone. But: phone and internet mostly not working. We do not have power or water either. Gas is almost impossible to get. If owners have language problems, email insurance company and policy number. We will try to help as soon as we are able to. But this can take a while. IMPORTANT: Do not order non-emergency repairs before adjuster was there.
 
A personal note: The Seabim team was also impacted to various degrees. Flooded homes, partial loss of roof, needing shelter. Computers are still not working.
 
We will get through all of it. But it will take some time. Please be PATIENT.

THANK YOU!

The Seabim Team

Update 11
Sept 30, 2022, 2 pm
Publix just opened!

 

Update 10
Sept 30, 2022, early morning

Hurricane Ian Imagery from NOAA. You can zoom in to see the current situation.
Click here for the imagery

Update 9
Sept 29, 2022, early afternoon

Dear guests, dear owners,

We just got news from our team in Cape Coral:

• Communication by phone is difficult but it seems cell phones are now working (unstable though). Internet does not work. No power, no water.
• Our team already started checking on the properties. This will take at least 1-2 days. Please be patient!
• One of the homes on the Eight Lakes had 1 foot (30 cm) of water inside the house. Therefore we expect more flooded homes.
• As soon as we know about the condition of the Seabim houses, we will contact owners and guests arriving shortly by email regarding the next steps. 

Thank you for your understanding and patience. The SEABIM Team

 

Update 8
Sept 29, 2022, early morning

Dear guests, dear owners,

The situation is difficult, Cape Coral and Lee County have been hit pretty hard by a direct hit by storm Ian. At the moment we do not have any detailed information about the situation in general and the SEABIM vacation homes. Usually, we would be on the road already to check on all Seabim vacation homes. But a curfew is in place and it is dangerous to be outside. In addition, we do not have power, internet, and phone service. Please be patient.

As soon as we have any more information we will put them online here on our Seabim Blog or will get in touch with you by email. If you have an urgent (!) matter please send an email through this website. One of our staff members (Lars) is in Europe and able to communicate. He will get emails sent through this website.

Thank you for your understanding and patience. The SEABIM Team

 

Update 7
Sept 28, 2022, morning

The situation has worsened for us. Ian strengthened to about 155 mph. It may make landfall as a category 5 hurricane. In addition, it seems to make landfall very close to us. A direct hit is possible as well.

One of the Seabim team members already lost power; not sure how long we will be able to communicate.

Update 6
Tuesday, Sept 27, 2022, evening

Unfortunately for us, the forecasted landfall location has continued to move south. According to the NHC 5 p.m. update, landfall could be close to Cape Coral, just a little bit north. The storm could strengthen to a category 4 storm. Therefore, we are expecting hurricane force winds and possibly a significant storm surge as the wind pushes the Gulf waters towards the coast. All of this reminds us of Hurricane Charley in 2004, which was the worst storm that we have experienced in Cape Coral so far.

Due to the mandatory evacuation order, many people have left Cape Coral for safer areas. Police cars drove through the streets this morning, advising everybody to leave. To the Seabim guests that left:
We hope that you can come back right after the storm passes. However, as long as power has not been restored or if there is damage to your vacation home, it might not be possible to move back into the home. Please try to contact us before you return. We provided you with our emergency contact information, including emergency phone numbers.

Continue to monitor the news, government adisories, and the ressources we mentioned in our previous posts.

For several hours now, it is raining almost constantly; mostly light rain. The wind picked up at times, nothing more than a breeze. We did not see any tornados. The conditions should deteriorate in the morning. Landfall is currently predicted for tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. Daylight would be a big help!

In the past, we often lost power, phone, internet and water (a little later) shortly before landfall. --- As long as we can, we will try to update this post with information for our customers and of our experience on the ground.

Update 5
Tuesday, Sept 27, 2022, morning
As hurricane Ian gets closer to Cape Coral and Lee County, we are now under "hurricane warning". See the latest NHC track update.

In addition, a mandatory evacuation order has been issued for lower lying areas.

To all guests and occupants of the Seabim vacation homes:
Almost ALL of the Seabim vacation homes are now under mandatory evacuation order. Please act accordingly

Here is a quote from the county website:

"The evacuation area includes: All of Evacuation Zone A, which generally includes islands and coastal areas. Part of Evacuation Zone B south of Veterans Parkway.
Visit www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/knowyourzone "

Please follow Lee County updates and advisory and local news (WINK, nbc-2, Fox4, etc.).

Here is a link to the Lee County Hurricane Ian updates:
https://www.leegov.com/hurricane/storm
that includes the zones of evacuation.

Here is a separate link to the current map (8:20 a.m.):
https://www.leegov.com/hurricane/Documents/MandatoryEvac_20220927.pdf

Update 4
Monday, Sept 26, 2022, evening.
This Monday, there were no major changes with regards to the forecasted track, including the latest update from 8 p.m. this evening. For possible consequences for our area, see previous updates.

The Seabim team is almost finished with preparing all of our managed vacation homes. All of our guests confirmed that they are well informed and know what to do. Some guests are so nice to help with carrying the outdoor furniture into the home or into the shuttered lanai.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, will be the day for some final actions. During the day, it should get more windy and rainy, especially in the afternoon; there is always a chance of tornados. Wednesday (throughout the day) should be the day that impacts us the most. If the current forecast becomes reality, the Tampa area will most likely have to bear the heaviest impact. Unfortunately, this might be during the night from Wednesday to Thursday. We really wish that the storm weakens before landfall.

If the storm takes a turn to the east, landfall could still be in the Cape Coral area. If this happens, power outages will be likely (they can also happen, if landfall is further north). In this case, and if the internet is down, it will be difficult to update this blog. However, we will try to get online and inform you as soon as possible. We have prepared a generator emergency set up to get power back quickly. In addition, if internet services are down but phone services work, we will try to get the updates input in another location outside of our area with internet access. Therefore, please continue to follow our updated blog posts for the Cape Coral area.

As soon as the storm has passed, we will assess possible damages for all of the Seabim homes.

Update 3
Monday, Sept 26, 2022, noon.
Since our last update, the forecasted track of the storm moved closer to our coast and a possible landfall is in the Tampa/Clearwater area now. An additional negative is the decreasing forward speed of the storm off our coast. This means that the storm would linger longer, which could also impact the amount of flooding we get. As these storms circulate counter-clockwise, winds south (right) of the storm's center push Gulf water towards land. Please follow the track and news.

If the storm runs exactly as predicted in the latest 11 a.m. NHC update, we still feel that we will not be affected too much; with the exception of a lot of rain (watch for road flooding) and some wind of course (there could also be some tornado risk).

There is a risk, though, that the track will move further east and/or the landfall is closer to the Cape Coral area. We will know better when the storm moves closer but unfortunately, at that time, there is not enough reaction time left to cancel arrivals and after arrival there might not be enough time and/or supplies available for our guests to prepare for the situation.

Therefore, we offer all of our guests that are scheduled to arrive between now and Thursday the option to cancel their trip or come a few days later. We will provide a FULL REFUND for the canceled days.

We still hope that guests who are scheduled to arrive after IAN has passed, will not be affected. As long as communication is working, we will continue to update our Seabim Blog.

Update 2
Sunday, Sept 25, 2022, evening.
According to today's 5 p.m. forecast (National Hurricane Center, see link below), the possible landfall of hurricane IAN moved even further north. If actual landfall will be close to the current forecast, we do not expect our area to be affected any more than by our regular summer rains or thunder storms while the storm is passing by over the Gulf of Mexico.

One of our guests asked us today, whether we expect our normal lives to go on as usual, whether restaurants will be open, pools can be used, etc. Based on the current forecast, the answer is "yes, we do". Of course, we all need to continue to watch for possible changes in future forecast updates.

Update 1
Saturday, Sept 24, 2022, morning.
The storm has been named IAN. In the latest update from 8 a.m. this Saturday morning, we are not in the center of the forecasted track anymore. The center moved a little further north towards the Sarasota/Tampa area. Most likely, these forecasts will continue to change over the next days.

Obviously, a landfall north of Cape Coral would reduce the impact for our area; but the angle of the landfall is also very important. If Ian runs alongside the coast or comes close to our coast before making landfall, the impact could be as bad as a direct hit, probably with a higher risk of flooding.

September 23, 2022, original post:
Tropical Depression Nine is forecasted to become a major hurricane. At the moment, the National Hurricane Center places the center of the expected track right in the Cape Coral area. Expected landfall is Tuesday or Wednesday. In the past, these forecasted tracks moved over time until the storms finally made landfall. As we do not know, whether or how this will develop, we have to prepare for a landfall in our area. However, it is still possible that the storm changes direction and in the end we might not be impacted at all or only slightly.

Seabim guests and owners, who are scheduled to be here when this storm possibly hits, please follow the news and make sure to prepare yourself. Among other things, fill up the tanks of your vehicles as soon as possible. Prepare for power outages (no refrigeration, no communication, no credit card payments), including enough cash, non-perishable food and water. Have your flashlights available and ready for use (including batteries). Make sure your power banks are full.

If the next forecasts keep the storm on track to our area, consider evacuation. The closer we get to landfall, the more difficult it will be to leave. The roads will be full, fuel and accomodations will be difficult to find.

In the past, we often got wind and rain 24 - 48 hours before landfall. This can make all outside work difficult or even impossible.

The National Hurricane Center offers valuable tools. Here is a link to their forecasted track that is usually updated on a regular basis:

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/145524.shtml?cone#contents

This morning, the Seabim team started to prepare the properties of the Seabim Vacation Portfolio. Especially lighter outside items are secured inside the buildings and outside furniture is either moved inside or under the lanai. Heavy dock furniture will not be moved during this first stage of preparation.

Most of the Seabim team has at least 20 years of experience with hurricanes. Until now, none of our guests or owners were ever hurt, and damages to the Seabim properties have been very limited.

We will update this post as needed. Please check back regularly.