Surprisingly though, beautiful Marco faired pretty well during the hurricane. Our local government folks at the state level have done nothing to help, and we're drowning. $48.00 Quick view. A scene from downtown Fort Myers Beach in early December. The flat elevation profile from the beach to the first row of homes will make damage much more likely to occur during any future coastal storms or floods. Office Newsletter JOHN DAY: It's been mentally tough, actually, which is - I've never been challenged like this. Dont worry about paying me today, make a list and get it when you can., Dalton expects the return of residents and electricity will help. Weather Activity Planner Ian's final landfall was near the city of Georgetown around 2 pm on Friday September 30. Hundreds of trees are down. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibels shell museum, or the islands historic village. Theres been about 60 burglaries since the time of the storm. By 2024, our projections are that well have approximately between 20 and 25% of our hotel room inventory back on Sanibel thats concerning, obviously, being largely a tourism-driven economy, but that number is based purely on the speed at which FEMA and insurance are moving at currently. Angler's Cove Condos were completely flooded on the first floor. To protect those 9,000-odd structures since the storm, he has 23 officers, as well as rotating out-of-town support, which can more than double their number, but challenges remain. A public wooden boardwalk at the north end of the island was severely damaged by surge. Collier Blvd. >> https://t.co/91rMIwdQ0O pic.twitter.com/cLXEPdQPeb, Video of Myrtle Ave nr N Causeway following rescue. leaving Marco Island after Hurricane Ian. I think it's going to be years of recovery. Paramedics and volunteers from the non-profit Medic Corps went door to door on Pine Island on Saturday searching for people. Lee Healths island offices are once again seeing patients. Horry County has the highest number of power outages in our viewing area. This building was built to withstand a category 5 storm and it did, said Cesario. Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc on Sanibel, Florida, destroying a causeway that cut off access to the barrier island's 6,300 residents. Koch blew her husband Paul a kiss and mouthed I love you from inside the helicopter as it left for the mainland. VIDEO: Flooding along Canal Drive in Carolina Beach. Radar-estimated rainfall totals during Hurricane Ian across northeastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina. FORT MYERS BEACH, Florida Stand on the sand in downtown Fort Myers Beach facing west toward the water and you might be fooled into thinking everything is all right. Thieves stripped the store of scratch-off lottery tickets, Dom Perignon and high-end fishing knives, Johnson said. News never stops. The storm surge from Ian submerged the island for hours, causing massive flooding. pic.twitter.com/7SAJIeychX, Ryan Clarke Arbogast (@ryanarbogastTV) September 30, 2022. Living in southwest Florida ourselves, we wanted a way to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian to rebuild and come back stronger and more beautiful than ever, so that families can continue to be able to create wonderful lifelong memories in this little slice of paradise. But [] Higher floors fared well, but all the belongings on the first floor were a complete loss. DEBBIE ELLIOTT, BYLINE: John Day and his 17-year-old son Jake have loaded their Carolina Skiff with a case of water and other supplies at a marina just south of Inglewood, Fla. JOHN DAY: We're heading to Little Gasparilla Island, where there is a tremendous amount of damage. He was docked at the Island Bay Marina at the end of Pearl Street on Fort Myers Beach when Hurricane Ian hit the island on September 28, 2022. For information: visitfortmyers.com, Whats next for Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach? WUSF 89.7 depends on donors for the funding it takes to provide you the most trusted source of news and information here in town, across our state, and around the world. Visitors wont be returning to the same island at least not right away, he says. They're going to travel, and if Sanibel's not ready for them, perhaps Fort Myers Beach or Bonita might be. Sanibel Farmers Market Update after Hurricane Ian, The Sanibel Public Library is Now Open after Hurricane Ian. But Ian was too much for the fragile buildings to take. Apache Pier and Second Avenue Pier were both damaged. Office History Timeline For those running businesses, the imposition of a 60-plus minute commute is galling, says Cathy Gibson Lanier, who got only a form-letter response from DeJoy. Check out our post, Naples to Marco Island by Boat. ELLIOTT: The 2 1/2-mile barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico has only ever been accessible by boat. Observed water levels were over four feet above the astronomical tide due to Ian's storm surge. WALL: I ended up having to get rid of all my food, my freezer, my coolers. More on Ian: Hurricane Ian aftermath live updates: Dome homes, Snook Inn reportedly destroyed on Marco, AND: Hurricane Ian: What to do with Hurricane Ian storm debris in Collier County. Another iconic Collier County staple, destroyed by #hurricaneian. Water reached 2 to 3 feet in depth at Town Hall, but exceeded 4 feet above ground level where a nearby mailbox was completely submerged. Whatever the future of Fort Myers Beach looks like, Cesario said it will be different from the past. In Northern Horry County, storm surge flooding affected North Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove Beach. According to our friends who have October reservations here, the first floor and pool area were all flooded with the storm surge. Hundreds of trees are down. Ian weakened only slightly as it crossed Cuba, then strengthened into a monstrous category 4 storm before making its second landfall just south of Punta Gorda, FL on September 28. Contrary to social media rumors, its not illegal on Sanibel, provided the piles not on private property, Dalton says. At this rate, Lai says, the islands will only be at a quarter of their capacity next year. This is the fifth highest stage recorded since the 1950s, exceeded by Hurricanes Isaias, Florence, and Matthew, and Hazel. For some residents, it was the first time they had seen outsiders since Wednesdays landfall. I went to McDonalds drive-thru for lunch but left with bags of cash instead, Biden, Harris photo-op with Warriors team takes awkward turn: 'I'm not doing that', Prince Harry roasted at Critics Choice Awards 2023, Russell Simmons shows off weird AF dance moves at yoga studio in Bali, New Kids on the Blocks Jonathan Knight recalls pressure to hide sexuality, Britney Spears pokes fun at manic restaurant video: Best part was the pasta, Nick Sirianni's update on the status of Eagles' star QB Jalen Hurts, The Fabelmans Flops on Jeopardy After All 3 Contestants Fail to Name Spielbergs Film, Wife of 'Boy Meets World' star William Daniels details 'painful' 'open marriage'. Many business owners were happy to see potential customers, but many residents didnt relish the potential congestion and staring strangers, though what some feared would be a flood hasnt materialized, said Sanibel Police Chief William Dalton. To get people back to work. Pelican gives hope that the Snook Inn will return better than ever! We're hoping to clean up and recover our home. More than 60,000 customers do not have power as we head into this evening pic.twitter.com/gsC756CDgR, In addition to the obvious surge damage, it looks like hurricane force gusts occurred along the beaches in the north strand. Liszak, who moved to Florida after graduating from Mayfield High School in the early 1980s, says Fort Myers Beach has a unique opportunity to consider its future. ELLIOTT: Day, an IT consultant and father to three teenage boys, built his house on little Gasparilla Island in 2004, and it survived Hurricane Charley. The . Apache Pier was also damaged by Hurricane Isaias back in 2020 but had since been repaired. One symbol of this new-versus-old debate is the massive Margaritaville Beachfront Resort Fort Myers, under construction across several blocks of downtown on the north end of the island. NWS Wilmington, NC2015 Gardner DriveWilmington, NC 28405(910) 762-4289Comments? On neighboring Pine Island, residents can pick up their mail at an outside table under a tent, though Fort Myers Beach residents also must travel to Jetport Loop. The remains of a Florida man who had been missing since his sailboat disappeared during Hurricane Ian in September have been found, officials said . Required fields are marked *, by Paula Ramm | Jan 10, 2023 | Hurricane Ian, Sanibel Island. A man takes photos of boats wrecked by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers on Thursday. Snook Inn Marco Tiki Bar wiped out from Hurricane Ian, Tiki Bar at Snook Inn totally wiped out by the storm surge from Hurricane Ian. Now, maybe we can get on with things and get the island functional again … Drive around somewhere other than our wonderful island and you'll see we are woefully behind literally every other neighboring community., Most of Sanibels revenue comes from tourism, she says, and without open condos, resorts, restaurants and beaches, the island will remain behind for years. From what we could see one week after Ian, it looked in pretty good shape, even though it must have been flooded from the storm surge. Numerous trees were blown down across the county, including two that fell on homes. Storm surge flooding affected Front Street and the downtown businesses. Tourists are creatures of habit. What are you going to do - fight them? Surf City Emergency Management reported 80 percent of the beach saw the formation of a 1 to 3 foot tall erosion scarp, with local heights of 5 feet. Just north of Springmaid Pier photos showed a six foot tall cliff carved into the beach face. A section of the Cherry Grove Pier collapsed during the storm. Its unclear how long it will take other properties on the beach to reopen. Wind gusts measured as high as 50 mph at the Wilmington airport and 60 mph in Wrightsville Beach blew down a few trees across the county. The degree of wind damage appeared worse in North Myrtle Beach than at points farther south. All the hotels on the island remain shuttered, although the Pink Shell Beach Resort announced recently that it is opening a few dozen rooms later this month, to workers and displaced local residents only, starting Dec 19. Flooding also covered portions of South Front Street near the State Port. However, with a surge this high the impacts were big! And I personally wouldnt go in the water, he said. Observations Map Garden City is no stranger to storm surge and we knew they would see coastal flooding. Dunes remained intact, although ocean water poured through beach accesses during high tide. These are both reputable organizations that we personally know, have worked with, and highly recommend. Submit Storm Report, Current Conditions To see more, visit WGCU. Strong winds pushed trees across power lines all across Georgetown County. Residents stated during interviews that flooding was worse than with Hurricane Isaias in 2020. Big storm surge severely eroded the beach and wiped out the dunes. Return to Sanibel Island after Ian:Smashed homes, slick ooze, and wondering how to rebuild, Sanibel reality check:Displaced businesses, orphaned trombones and debris fields, We absolutely needed the contractors, the adjusters and the appraisers here to move this ball forward to take the next step. Plus, with the chamber advocating for a large hurricane relief package for both residents and businesses, the chances of us getting the funding decrease significantly if we did not open the bridge, Lai said. I decided to start compiling a list of volunteer and donation opportunities so we can all help beautiful Sanibel and its residents recover. by Paula Ramm | Nov 29, 2022 | Hurricane Ian, Sanibel Island. And while we want you to come and enjoy watching the marathon, understand were in the first leg of this race. I don't know what kind of mold it is, but it looks like black mold. Thats the reason we fell in love with this place. "More heat means more energy to whipmild hurricanes into massive ones," he wrote. That drive over the causeway, as different as it is, is still very relaxing and therapeutic, and the island has a lot to offer, even in its current state, but its not what you remember from last year.. John Lai is less worried about tourists memory than he is about available lodging, which is lagging in the absence of promised Small Business Administration loans. "They have and will always change as they are highly dependent upon and impacted by wave energy, winds, tides and currents, and most importantly, storms. But this one kicked us right square in the gut.. ELLIOTT: Wall is hooking up a generator to help with the cleanup and to try to access his payroll so his employees won't go without a check. And every one of the 500 or so houses on the island suffered serious damage. Then Hurricane Ian slammed on the brakes. You want to see that crowd of people having fun in Fort Myers Beach again.. Support WUSF now by giving monthly, or make a one-time donation online. Video shared by local law enforcement showed water swiftly flowing across the road surface. Hurricane Ian destroys Cape Romano dome homes And just off Cape Romano Island and south of Marco Island, the dome homes. US Dept of Commerce We didnt think wed have a bridge for a year, he said. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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