"He's going gangrene," said Toney Wood, a volunteer with the United Cajun Navy who found Schulz while driving around looking for survivors and those in need of water and food. His insurance company has been completely unreachable, Williams said. He said that some residents who had survived the storm were declining the offers of rescue, insisting that even now they wanted to stay. Island Park village, Florida, Fort Myers, IPV, We are located in Lee County, adjacent to a wildlife preserve. Church crews from Louisiana were cooking 1,000 plates of jambalaya. They had to come out and go under the doors.". Every day on the beach on the island, something new opens up or reopens. Mr. DeSantis, who earlier described the storm surge on the Sanibel as biblical, on Friday offered a sobering assessment of the toll. ORLANDO, Fla. - As we move into yet another hurricane season, many across the state are still trying to get back to their "normal." And that is very much the case in southwest Florida, after . He tried to stay positive, but when he saw the boat inside his house and the damage done by the surge, his heart sank. "I'm glad we were here to be honest," Schulz, 83,said before leaving his condo. Millar and her husband couldnt swim. Boater saves multiple Island Park residents during Hurricane Ian In this aerial photo, damaged boats and debris are stacked along the shore in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee He said supplies are coming from all over the countryand that the nonprofit has been able to respond faster and with more efficiency than many government agencies during tragedies like this. Nearby, 67-year-old Nancy Mattes was trying to help out her neighbors. It was just between the moving cars that were traveling on the Tamiami Trail. Many survivors were in communication dead zones, without potable water, or electricity. Source: Florida Public Service Commission. Because I'm just about out of gas.". Residents and business owners have replaced . ORLANDO, Fla. As we move into yet another hurricane season, many across the state are still trying to get back to their normal. And that is very much the case in southwest Florida, after Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm. As the storm emerged as a threat to Florida in late September, forecasts initially had it headed for the Tampa Bay area. A photo out . It demolished his sunroom and opened the house to the elements. Connect with this reporter: @ChadEugene on Twitter. Hurricane Ian floods Fort Myers, Florida, in devastating scenes Citlali, 15, and Martin Herrera. Hurricane Ian flooded several communities with recreational vehicles and mobile homes in the Fort Myers area. "We just had it appraised not to long ago," George Mitchell said. They left the island before the storm and stayed with a friend. You look at your life, your pictures, your furniture, all the things youve collected over a lifetime, sitting in a pile at the side of the road. Sanibel Island, Fort Myers severely damaged by Hurricane Ian in Lee In the wake of the hurricanes tear across Florida, swaths of the state were left without power. Punishing winds and waters left a trail of destruction on the southwest coast and into central Florida, flooding streets and homes and knocking out power. Editor's Note: As a public service, The News-Press is . The landmark Naples Pier was torn apart in some sections. Hurricane Ians impact, DeSantis said, is historic., Youre looking at a storm thats changed the character of a significant part of our state, the governor said during a Thursday briefing in Tallahassee. Drinking water and food were scarce on Pine Island, whose only bridge to the mainland was impassable. Fort Myers, Florida, sees "total devastation" in wake of Hurricane Ian As Mattes worked, a 70-year-old woman who identified herself only as Mona studied the side of her trailer. The light globes were exploding, things just flying all over the place. I dont know what Im going to do, Ms. Clements said, but she pointed at Mr. Neelon, who had bought her now-wrecked trailer for her. Listen to what your local officials are telling you. Everything we knew is different now, he said. If those numbers hold up, Ian would be the fourth costliest hurricane in U.S. history. German residentfell down flight of stairs, twice, Other residents get help in South Fort Myers, 11 helpful links to help you navigate Ian recovery, relief, Lee restaurants open in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita, Estero, Where to offer time, money, food and other supplies for Hurricane Ian victims, We just need to get off our butts and help them, 'It was really scary' Juan Carlos Garcia tells his Hurricane Ian story, remains open despite storm damage,food loss due to Ian, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Neighbors were stranded on their roofs. "We're just existing now. The storm poured 10 to 20 inches on a wide stretch of the state as it carved a slow path across the peninsula. "Unless you were there, you just can't understand," he said. In Florida's Fort Myers Area, Scenes of Paradise May Be Lost for Good Nearby, the San Carlos RV Park & Islands was full of debris. Orlando hit a 24-hour rainfall record with 12.49 inches about twice its monthly average. That's exactly what happened during the height of Hurricane Ian. The front porch was gone. Copyright 2023 Fort Myers Broadcasting. Couple holds on to recreational vehicle's roof as Ian's storm surge "We were going to sell [the house] this winter," Jim says. You won't live through a third time,' " Brigitte said. Browse our website for details about our wonderful c Top 5 things to do this weekend in Fort Myers, Cape: Denny Laine of Wings, Little Mermaid, 21 deaths confirmed with five not storm-related, Lee County sheriff says, What's open, where to get what you need after Hurricane Ian, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Sick, hot, tired and with a belly full ofgrilled cheese sandwiches, Schulz finally agreed to receive treatment from the medical staff. And if theyre saying evacuate, evacuate. "My trailer and my boat was parked right here and there's my trailer across the canal and that's my boat that was on that trailer," Phillip McAfee said. "I'm hanging in," he says. Christian De La Rosa joined Local 10 News in April 2017 after spending time as a reporter and anchor in Atlanta, San Diego, Orlando and Panama City Beach. So was the outdoor furniture. The German couplehad just returned to their winter home on Sept. 23, the Friday before Hurricane Ian hit. 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 along the state's southwest coast. The Heltons' home is on the back bay in Fort Myers Beach, part of a boating community that's now gone. Explore aerial images of Hurricane Ians damage to the Florida coast. The latest local, regional and national news events are presented by the Local 10 News Team along with updated sports, weather and traffic. One woman who lives in the community was at home during the storm and was shocked at how severe it was. From SKY 10, it appeared that some of the brick foundations were pulverized. Drivers and pedestrians were near unstable electric poles and overhead power lines. A southwest Floridian since the 1970s and a retired police officer, the mayor of Fort Myers, Kevin Anderson, watched Hurricane Ian close in as waters rose toward his home in the heart of downtown Fort Myers. As we start another hurricane season, Anderson has advice for any Central Floridian who may be a bit hesitant or too tired to prepare for another storm. The floodwaters inside her trailer had reached her neck, and she was forced to swim to another neighbors trailer where she regained her strength by resting on a floating couch before setting out yet again to her boyfriends trailer. 1 of 7 Now, their high-rise's plumbing is out and the elevators weren't working as of Thursday afternoon. Neighbors giveMike Murphy credit for saving upwards of 27 lives,10 dogs and a cat by pulling people from their attics. It was between seven and eight oclock, and it was just raining so hard, the woman said. Many like Bethke refused to evacuate. "We not only lost our house and our belongings, we lost everything in our lives," George Mitchell said. "I feel happy and fortunate that our house is still standing," Herrera said. Tram services will operate from 8 a.m. to sunset and will transport visitors to within 800 feet of the beach. ", Video: 'It was really scary' Juan Carlos Garcia tells his Hurricane Ian story, Gladiolus Food Pantry remains open despite storm damage,food loss due to Ian. As southwestern Florida struggled to restore even basic functions like power and water, and rescue workers continued their search for people trapped or killed during the storm, Hurricane Ian hit South Carolina on Friday as a much weaker Category 1 storm, making landfall between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. We are open, we are open for business, and we are booming, he said with a smile on his face. Streets were flooded and almost unrecognizable. Mapping the Damage From Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Florida So they called. He fell down a flight of stairs two times and didn't break anything. The next day, Jim returned, fearful about what he might find. Crews were on their way to restore power, the governor said, but doing so will take more than connecting a power line back to a pole. In some areas, he said, reconnecting is likely to require rebuilding the infrastructure. Video editing by John Farrell. I wasnt too sure about [the evacuation order] in the beginning, but it was absolutely the right move, Scotty Levy said, adding he had learned a lesson: When they say evacuate, get out!. He said he did not want to take his chances in the Tampa Bay area, even if avoiding it meant paying for an overpriced hotel room on his credit card. A severe storm Wednesday night caused a lot damage to a North Fort Myers community. "I'm fighting depression. Fort Myers Beach 'gone' after Hurricane Ian decimates Florida's coast They and their 20-year-old daughter left with the clothes on their backs, their dog and a couple of gas cans. Neighbors once again will be picking up the pieces here after the severe storm. Whole blocks of beachfront homes and businesses were . In Fort Myers Beach, whose streets jam when the population of about 5,600 swells to tens of thousands during the busy season, beach bars and restaurants that had survived Hurricanes Irma and Charley lay in ruins on Friday. Everyone herewere all family now. I thought there was going to be flooding on the porch because when it rains hard it usually floods in there, he said. In the past few days, the people of Island Park have largely moved their possessions to the side of the road as the homes here flooded by storm surge. It was waist-deep in some images out of Orlando. Maxar Technologies Before and after satellite images show an RV park and boats on San Carlos Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach, much of which were washed away by the surge. Communities close to Ians furious path were almost entirely in the dark. Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa and caused damaged on the nearby barrier islands. Egon Schulz satin a lawn chair near the doorway of his South Fort Myers condominiumWednesday afternoon, his left forearm reeking of infection and covered insoakedbandages. There is devastation like no one has ever seen, Ms. Cereceda said. It was time, he said, to say goodbye to Florida and move in with his kids in New Hampshire. One of those tarps was tossed onto a light pole. On Pine Island, the largest of Floridas Gulf Coast islands, volunteers with the Cajun Navy looked for people in distress. A fishing pier had been stripped to its concrete pilings. PUNTA GORDA, Fla. A man in his late 70s, eyes red-rimmed and holding a beer in a koozie, surveys the ruination that was once his happy home. KMZ and GeoTIFF files are available to download at http://aria-share.jpl.nasa.gov. On one side of Ortiz Avenue in this storm-ravaged city, residents of the Lazy J Mobile Home & RV Park returned to find that the trailers that are their homes had largely survived the wrath of Hurricane Ian, which killed more than a dozen people in Florida before leaving the state and barreling toward the Carolinas on Friday. On Friday, some residents of Fort Myers Beach trickled back on foot, pulling wagons and carts over the Matanzas Pass Bridge in the hopes of salvaging what they could from what was once their homes. The three of them, along with Mary Anns dog and two cats, got in. Chopper flies over Sanibel, Florida, after Hurricane Ian moves out. He will make sure I wont be homeless.. Wood drove to the home of Karen Plak, who lost everything from her South Fort Myers condo, to follow up on a Tuesday visit. A damaged home in the Poinsettia Mobile Home Park. If they didnt, I dont know how you survive that.. Restaurants, bars are opening back up. "We were in Puerto Rico responding with a small team for Hurricane Fiona and we saw Ian coming so we advanced our Florida chapter out of the Vero Beach area," Thrasher said. I dont take all of this too seriously, he said. [4] [5] Ian caused widespread damage across western Cuba, Florida . The neighborhood looks, well, like 9 feet of storm surge washed over it for several hours. Like the house, all the couple's plans were scrambled and destroyed by the hurricane. Their neighbor, Phillip McAfee, saw his boat across the canal, several homes away. Cape Coral officials reported that a damaged water system distribution pipeline prompted the shutdown of the citys potable water system. Hurricane Ian: Fort Myers' Island Park dealing with flooding Fences are down, just-replaced metal street signs are snapped at the base, and debris is everywhere. The scene was far different on the other side of Ortiz Avenue, where residents of the Poinsettia Mobile Home Park were trying to salvage what they could from the wreckage left by a monstrous-but-fickle storm that rampaged through Fort Myers on Wednesday. One block over, in an area where mobile homes sit cheek by jowl with modest bungalows, 28-year-old Martin Herrera was marveling that his trailer had survived unscathed. A woman and her parents who are in their 80s had to climb on a counter when the storm surge was about 4 feet high and they lost their three cars, but she said she was grateful they had survived. When paramedics arrived, they told Schulz it was time to leave, that or he would turn septic and be dead in a matter of hours. They swam to safety. The water is rising so quickly footage . Home News Local Boater saves multiple Island Park residents during Hurricane Ian. Off the island, residents who had fled the storm have been turning to Facebook community groups and watching the news for word of whether their homes survived. Other than a few knocked-over plants, Castillo said they suffered no other damage. This all-day event kicks off with a 7 a.m. Five-K. 2 vehicles charred by improperly stored fireworks in Cape Coral, Central Florida researcher develops way to track cells in order to stop cancer in its tracks, Electrical fire guts familys home in Collier County, Trial begins for Alva woman accused of killing family in DUI crash, Man wounded in July 4th shooting at Culvers in Fort Myers, Lightning strike temporarily closed lanes on Colonial Blvd in Fort Myers, Downtown Fort Myers celebrates Fourth of July with block party, Celebrating Fourth of July on Fort Myers Beach, Wind sends heavy tarp flying into the sky in Fort Myers, Naples 9-year-old to speak to Congress about Type 1 diabetes, Avoiding heat-related illness during SWFLs record-breaking summer, WINK News quizzes SWFL on Independence Day trivia, Celebrating the Fourth of July with Cape Corals Red, White & Boom. You got to take responsibility for your own personal safety and your family safety, he urged. Some people lost boats they have no idea where they landed and others saw their homes, roofs and pool cages scattered throughout the neighborhood. 1:44 Lee County residents who fled the Hurricane Irma's wrath were searching for social media clues as to how their homes fared. Hurricane Ian Timelapse Video Shows Storm Surge Completely Flood Fort Myers "But it's steamed up now. The heat index continues to soar in the Orlando area. If a house just washes away into the ocean, into the water, with 155-mile-per-hour winds, if that person evacuated, thats great, Mr. DeSantis said. I didnt die, she said, still astonished. The inland central part of the state was also deluged with water.

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