But they feel lucky they got a room here after their home was demolished in the storm. With his slumped shoulders and back bent from an ancient injury, its hard to imagine Capt. Still, at the seven-month mark since the Category 4 storm hit, it can be difficult and painful to see the scars that remain in many places, including Sanibel Island, which along with Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island and parts of Cape Coral and Fort Myers neighborhoods along the Caloosahatchess River, absorbed the brunt of Ian. But Hurricane Ians toll on vulnerable residents showed the gaps in those efforts. Property owners are encouraged to be proactive. Norberg said many homeowners should contact their agents about possibly adjusting the replacement costs of their homes on policies. Besides, he has no one to help. Social media posts are capturing the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Ian, which made landfall near Cayo Costa on Sept. 28, The damage includes flooding, destruction to homes, businesses, vehicles and infrastructure, and possibly loss of live. CBS4's Ted Scouten reports on the increasing presence of climate change, and how is making it necessary for us to look differently at hurricanes. At 7 a.m., Lee County officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for the countys highest-risk areas. Jay planned, then, to travel to Key West. progress with various recovery efforts continues to be made. Weighing the probability of a deadly storm surge against a crowded shelter or taking into consideration health problems or lack of transportation, many people choose to wait out storms. He felt the breeze through his beard, looked up at the stars, then climbed into his cabin and poured another rum and Coke. Scores drowned as they fled on foot, while in their cars or after seawater swallowed their homes. She said they were blindsided by the storms ferocity. Until then, his dreams will keep him afloat. Weather officials say they're retiring the names Fiona and Ian from the rotating list of Atlantic tropical cyclone names because of the death and destruction caused by the most recent storms with those names. "I got over there today and there was a note by the coffee machine, 'Call the sales lady.' He has no idea whose boat it is or what it will take to remove it and the rest of the rubble that used to be his home. Families of the missing are caught in limbo over their loved ones fate. We were just hoping for the best, Jim said. There, his new home sits on a slip of gravel. Efforts will focus on identifying problematic lights and educating property owners on solutions. Giarratana knows the Southwest Florida area is vulnerable. Amber LED light is bright, but it has a wavelength that is long which sea turtles and other nocturnal species, including migratory birds, dont react to. She encountered Hurricane Ian debris that still remains on the beach in nesting habitat at her first attempt to nest. Then, in February, Lee County Sheriffs Office deputies ordered everyone out. Destroyed houses and buildings are visible in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Friday. Ten years ago today, one of the most catastrophic storm events to hit Southwest Florida impacted Fort Myers Beach and those who lived or worked on it. Some are preventable. But, Colorado State University issued its season forecast. Seven months to the day after Hurricane Ian completely demolished Fort Myers Beach, another familiar face is set to return to the recovering community. The city of Fort Myers Beach on Florida's southwest coast was leveled by Hurricane Ian, a local politician said late Thursday. On Sept. 27, the day before Ians expected arrival, Lee County officials issued a mandatory evacuation order for people close to the coast, including Collson. Or climb the 52-foot mast to check the rigging. Even though the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30,its repercussionswill linger long into the future. South Florida can expect heavy rains, gusty winds, and coastal flooding. This storm showed us that we dont, said Jeannine Joy, the president and CEO of United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades counties. Collson, 67, was alone and bedridden with knees so badly deteriorated that shed spent two years in nursing homes, including for much of the pandemic, when the facilities didnt allow visitors, her brother, Jim, said. 0:51. Rebuilding. The education is out there. Fort Myers News-Press. Yost went looking for Pacyna after the storm and was told by a neighbor that he hadn't survived. As each day passes since Hurricane Ian slammed Southwest Florida on Sept. 28, 2022, progress with various recovery efforts continues to be made. As Florida approaches the start of hurricane season this summer, insurance experts say there are some things homeowners should be checking. They survived, and their house wasnt seriously damaged. At the Placida boatyard, he has yet to repair his sailboats spreader, fix the in-board engine, buy an outboard one. Susan and Jim Helton are in Fort Myers now, at a hotel where there's no power or water. After the storm, he climbed out of his house and went looking for his two closest friends in Fort Myers Beach, Mitch Pacyna and Daymon Utterback. It is responsible for an estimated 9.6% of current cases in US, Doctors seeing an uptick in 'pink eye' associated with this variant, Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. FORT MYERS, FLA. No place in Florida seemed to have suffered more damage from Hurricane Ian than the town of Fort Myers Beach, located on Estero Island Over the weekend, a female sea turtle visited Bonita Beach checking out the nesting sites, Haverfield said. Past update on Publix7 things to know about Fort Myers Beach's'functional paradise,' new damage estimates, Want more FMB news?No injuries in roof fire that raged at Fort Myers Beach condo building Saturday afternoon. After she returned home in April, a move made possible by daily help from a health aide, Collson vowed not to leave again, even if it meant putting off surgeries that could help her regain the ability to walk. Ian also illustrated the challenge of protecting densely populated waterfront communities from extreme weather worsened by climate change; thousands of coastal residents chose not to evacuate. There has been this assumption that everybody should be able to read these guides and get this information, but its not that simple, said Lindsay Peterson, a research assistant professor at the University of South Floridas School of Aging Studies. She dialed 911 for help but was told it was too late; rescue operations were on hold until the storm passed, Jim said. At 2:30 p.m., he spoke to another relative, saying the water was 4 feet high and he had to hang up, Stacy said. "It was hard to get in there because the couches and everything floated up, all mixed together. An NBC News analysis found that 119 were attributed specifically to the flooding, winds and other dangerous conditions during the storm. We are redoing []. Ian had also wrecked 97% of Fort Myers Beach's other buildings, including businesses and homes. April 28, The $50 billion in damage statewide made Irma Floridas fifth-costliest hurricane at the time, but the storm still wasnt as destructive as forecasters had feared. One of the places severely damaged by Hurricane Ian was Fort Myers Beach, and seven months later, theres still more to do, but theyve come a long way. Im so nervous I could throw up, she wrote. The nesting season lasts through October. Hurricane 2022: Be Prepared! But those efforts reach fewer than 13,000 people in a seven-county region with nearly 700,000 people over 60. Betsy Clayton, Lee Countys spokeswoman, said in an email that Lees evacuation order was a collaborative decision made based on the totality of known circumstances and factors at that time. The county finally issued the evacuation order when storm surge predictions drastically increased the day before landfall, Clayton wrote. There wasnt much time to get out. 0:51. A month after Hurricane Ian ravaged Fort Myers Beach, Fla., rubble and fallen trees line the roads. Hoffman and his family watched with alarm as the water rose around their house, cresting just short of the walls. LANTANA, Fla. As Florida approaches the start of hurricane season on June 1, insurance experts said there are some things homeowners should be checking. It slowed over Volusia County, dumping nearly 21 inches of rain in some areas and bringing gusts of up to 96 mph that battered coastal zones with near king tides, he said. All the more reason for the Town to pursue getting amber LEDs put in place. The only access to the Matlacha neighborhood, shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Fla., on Sept. 30. Of the 109 He was glad to make coffee on a real stove each morning and have ice in his rum and Cokes at night. Wayfair has extended its biggest sale of the year through tonight. Lee County, which took a direct hit from Ian, waited until the day before the storm a day longer than neighboring counties to issue a mandatory evacuation order. Fort Myers Beach was particularly hit hard by the 15-foot storm surge. Beginning Monday from 9 p.m. to dawn each day through October, outdoor lighting is prohibited facing the beach except for shielded amber lights, and blinds must be closed. A member of a search-and-rescue team confirms the discovery of a body in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Sept. 30, two days after Hurricane Ian hit Florida's west coast. Hurricane Ian illustrated the challenges of protecting densely populated waterfront communities and exposed shortcomings in how local governments respond, an NBC News investigation found. But the water finally stopped rising. Where the newly constructed berm is in place, sea turtles are less likely to reach Estero Boulevard., The Town of Fort Myers Beach is reminding all property owners to be conscientious about the lighting they are installing, Chustz said. An emergency sand berm is built on Fort Myers Beach on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. On Florida's east coast, residentsare working to prevent batteredbeachfront properties from collapsing into the ocean after first Ian, then Nicole ripped awaymountains of sand and seawalls. He had already repaired the rudder, put a regulator on the hose, added fiberglass. Ian tore through a few hours later, bringing 150 mph winds and a wall of water higher than the area had seen for decades. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, many businesses along Fort Myers Beach have put in the work to get their operations back up. During a storm, you will hear this, especially on social media: Why didnt they just leave? I like solitude, he said. After a winter of searching for crabs, mollusks and whelks, adult female turtles begin mating this time of year and searching for coastal habitats like Fort Myers Beach to lay their eggs. Of the 109 nests recorded on Fort Myers Beach last year, 11 of those nests had hatchlings which disoriented due to lighting violations on Fort Myers Beach. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, many businesses along Fort Myers Beach have put in the work to get their operations back up. Islanders on the six-mile stretch of land had been eagerly awaiting updates on their only grocery store for months, reaching out to officials and posting to social media. The next day, Jim returned, fearful about what he might find. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Ron DeSantis official travel records secret. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. At the second try, she was not pleased with the presence of a palm tree., just the right spot somewhere, hopefully on one of the beaches that we monitor.. It was devastated by Irmas winds, but many people in the area had returned to undamaged homes. Please note, filter wraps, gels, and colored party bulbs are not compliant, because the emit light that sea turtles are sensitive to.. Hurricane Irma is the worst hurricane to have hit the Fort Myers-Naples area in recent history in 2017. They left the island before the storm and stayed with a friend. We expect that Hurricane Ian opened a lot of peoples eyes about the danger of storm surge and what to do if youre in an evacuation zone.. What you do is up to you, Gleason said. Sand from Immokalee is getting trucked in. County-by-county resources for renters facing eviction, OUR Florida - Emergency Rental Assistance Relief Program, Palm Beach County Department of Housing and Economic Development. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. "Don't be surprised when you see that high hurricane deductible when the claim time comes," Norberg said. Protected nationally since 1978 by the Endangered Species Act, loggerhead sea turtles were once much rarer on Fort Myers Beach.