NASA scientists are using satellite data to assess the damage on Florida's Gulf Coast after Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in the state as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 28, 2022. Orlando hit a 24-hour rainfall record with 12.49 inches about twice its monthly average. His decapitated mobile home is in Gasparilla Mobile. On Fort Myers Beach, Jim believes it will be at least a decade before the island community is rebuilt. Maryjane Mitchelland her husband, George Mitchell,could only find one small ficus in a bucket that was left among what was, days before,anextensive flower garden. Ian rushed nearly ten feet of storm surge into their neighborhood. This church was destroyed by Hurricane Ian's 150 mph winds and a wall of water that pummeled the island in September 2022. The Heltons say they're staying in Florida just until they are able to make the necessary connections with FEMA. She's a former New Yorker and was in Manhattan on 9/11. Maryanne Mitchell taught music in Lee County school'sfor 30 years and lost her piano, classical guitar and all her sheet music and books. 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. 9-year-old Leah Shwedel is using her voice to make lawmakers in Washington, D.C., pay attention to Type 1 diabetes. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award. Her back and legs were bruised from the harrowing escape. It was between seven and eight oclock, and it was just raining so hard, the woman said. The McVeys had lost a lot of trees, but their home itself, which sits on the middle of the island about 12 feet above sea level, appeared undamaged. The Sanibel Causeway is severely damaged. Hurricane Ian floods Fort Myers, Florida, in devastating scenes "It's awful. Fred Newhall, 87, said he had an epiphany as he sat in his wrecked mobile home eating Spam and cold beans. The small island with 6,500 residents was severed from land when the only roadway to the island collapsed. Sept. 30, 202201:21 The trailer that Williams had moved into last year looked like it had been pried open with a can opener. Dorothy Cooper and Henry Clukey survey the damage Friday in the Poinsettia Moile Home Park in Fort Myers, Fla. Ken and Barbara Williams outside their home in the Poinsettia Mobile Home Park. Some had no clue yet whether anything was left to salvage. The latest local, regional and national news events are presented by the Local 10 News Team along with updated sports, weather and traffic. In the first 48 hours, the public works department had every road in the city cleared. Because I'm just about out of gas.". 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. And it came in from both sides, Mary Ann said. Jury selection begins on Wednesday for the woman accused of hitting and killing two young girls and their father. "This is a 100-year storm, and we knew it was going to be bad," Thrasher said. He wanted to see if she was eating and had plenty of water, but Plak wasn't home. ", Jim says he's also thought about God, the challenge he's been given and whether he's still up to it. Near Cayo Costa, the hurricanes 20-foot waves caused Sanibel Islands only causeway to the mainland to collapse in several places. Hurricane Ian - Wikipedia Steve Helber / AP In this aerial photo made in a flight provided by mediccorps.org, damage from Hurricane Ian is seen on Estero Island in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on Sept. 30, 2022. Downtown Fort Myers is celebrating Independence Day with a block party. He said theyre not built to survive the kind of punishment that Hurricane Ian dished out on the other side of Ortiz Avenue. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Francie Pucin stands near her home at the Palmetto Palms RV Resort in Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday. Fort Myers Razed by Hurricane Ian: 'Will Need to be - Newsweek 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. ARIA Maps Damage in Fort Myers From Hurricane Ian But they feel lucky they got a room here after their home was demolished in the storm. Mother nature gave us a small taste of her power. On the other side, residents were trying to salvage what they could. WINK News reporter Tiffany Rizzo went to the sites of various celebrations and quizzed Southwest Florida neighbors on July Fourth trivia. US-German Satellites Show California Water Gains After Record Winter, NASA Researchers Detect Tsunamis by Their Rumble in the Atmosphere, Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar, Two NASA Studies Find Lower Methane Emissions in Los Angeles Region, International Sea Level Satellite Spots Early Signs of El Nio, On the Edge: NASAs Last S-MODE Mission Studies the Oceans Surface. What do you do when you dont have a building to go back to? asked Krissy Simone, who owns a spa and salon on Fort Myers Beach. "I'm glad we were here to be honest," Schulz, 83,said before leaving his condo. If you want to sit on your couch during a hurricane and wait for the government to come save you, shame on you. "It was in the middle in thestorm and blowing every bit of 100," he explained. Boats from the Fort Myers Yacht Basin were blown as far as Robert and Jane's apartment. 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. Photo editing by Natalia Jimenez. Its a war zone, Darrell Hanson, who runs several businesses, said of San Carlos Island. All that remained of some homes were the stairs leading up to what had once been a door. 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. Fort Myers Beach 'gone' after Hurricane Ian decimates Florida's coast A causeway that had been Sanibels only road to the mainland was shorn apart by the storm, further isolating anyone who remained. Fort Myers Beach, which sits on a 7-mile-long island along the Gulf of Mexico, saw "total devastation, catastrophic," Fort Myers Beach Town Councilman Dan Allers said Friday. At face value, it doesnt look that bad but homes in a community still have tarps on the roof from from Hurricane Ian. Candace Campos joined the News 6 weather team in 2015. Mr. DeSantis said on Thursday night that at least 700 people had been rescued, and later said rescuers had visited at least 3,000 homes in the worst-hit areas up and down the coast. Fences are down, just-replaced metal street signs are snapped at the base, and debris is everywhere. On San Carlos Island, Darrell Hanson began the work on Friday of cleaning up his businesses Salty Sams boat rentals and two restaurants. Then there was thefamily heirloom clock from the 1800s, which woke the Mitchells every morning for the past 47 years, sitting nearby. Severe weather causes damage to North Fort Myers community - WINK News Bruised and battered, he was likely a few hours from death, medics said. Video editing by John Farrell. Data from the satellites covered an area of approximately 2,491 square miles (6,452 square kilometers) outlined by the red rectangle. Hurricane Ian volunteers set up headquarters near Island Park A search team combing buildings on Fort Myers Beach recovered at least one body on Thursday; on Friday, a paramedic spotted a womans body floating in the water off Pine Island, while Sanibel officials confirmed several storm-related fatalities there. 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. "We just had it appraised not to long ago," George Mitchell said. You just have to have hope, keep praying and hope for the best, he said. But even within all of the damage and loss seen across the area, there were bright spots that brought pride in the community. Copyright 2023 Fort Myers Broadcasting. 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. Fences are down, just-replaced metal street signs are snapped at the base, and debris is everywhere. Maryanne Mitchell said she felt lost and alone. Lovers Key State Park on Fort Myers Beach reopened Wednesday with limited day-use activities nine months after sustaining damage from Hurricane Ian. 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. BREAKING: Lab test confirms white substance found at the White House is cocaine. Despite Hurricane Ians impact, Cape Corals Red, White and Boom event is still going on. Carlos Osorio for NPR That, Jim Helton says, and the boat he found in the middle of his house. Ron DeSantis reported there were about 700 Hurricane Ian-related rescues just on Thursday. Nearby, the San Carlos RV Park & Islands was full of debris. Volunteers havebeen serving lunch and giving out supplies daily between noon and 2 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Supplies were gone withinabout an hour Wednesday. Boater saves multiple Island Park residents during Hurricane Ian It was probably one of the scariest things Ive been through.. They were trying to get to higher ground.. Mr. DeSantis, who earlier described the storm surge on the Sanibel as biblical, on Friday offered a sobering assessment of the toll. He's 84, long since retired and now is not sure what to do next. Some people were hesitant to leave their homes, he said. Murphy said hurricane conditions pounded the community for nine hours. Many like Bethke refused to evacuate. "And I told (Johnson) that we had to wait for the storm to pass; but he jumped off the dock and into the water and swam around to the skiff and I saw he did and Iwasn't going to let him go,so Ijumped in.". The building they were in was being torn apart, Ms. Schuline said, recalling her father as a devoted Chicago Cubs and Blackhawks fan who had recently traveled to see his granddaughters graduate from high school and college. BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. Nicholas Bethke said he and his girlfriend held on to their recreational vehicles roof with their dog after the storm surge got up to their heads Wednesday. If they didnt, I dont know how you survive that.. Don Hill, 67, said he, too, was surprised to find his trailer still in one piece. His television and car were both destroyed. 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. "I got in the boat and Iparked the boat on top of my truck," Murphy said. Solid waste garbage collection will resume on Monday. He tells his story and its going to make him that much stronger too. Rescue workers have visited at least 3,000 homes in the worst-hit areas up and down Floridas western coast. She writes about breaking news, politics, disasters and the quirks of life in South Florida. "They wouldn't leave because they had two dogs and catsand we drug them into the boat and that was the last people we were able to get," Murphy said. The German couplehad just returned to their winter home on Sept. 23, the Friday before Hurricane Ian hit. The neighborhood looks, well, like 9 feet of storm surge washed over it for several hours. The Caloosahatchee River flooded the city of Fort Myers and the water flooded hotels and restaurants in the Main Street and Broadway area, near the Old Lee County courthouse. His death was part of a grim toll that began to emerge on Friday, as officials in Florida said that at least three dozen deaths had likely been caused by the storm a toll they expected to rise. Unlike some other nearby residences, their home was undamaged. In Florida's Fort Myers Area, Scenes of Paradise May Be Lost for Good FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. This barrier island on the southwestern coast of Florida sustained extensive damage when Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday just 22 miles to the north.. "That's a brand new motor, too.". In Naples, Bill DAntuono emerged from his aunt and uncles canal-front house, where the water went above the countertops and filled the drawers, to find his hometown transformed. Chad Gillis Fort Myers News-Press 0:00 0:32 At least one house burned to the ground, while one man reportedly saved more than two dozen lives by literally pulling them from their attics in the. Her dog, Nugget, had also survived. Homes flooded to their second floors. A brown maroon and tan pontoon boat was in a tree near the burnedhome across the street. His insurance company has been completely unreachable, Williams said. Explore aerial images of Hurricane Ians damage to the Florida coast. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Photos: This is what Florida looks like after Hurricane Ian - NPR Sanibel Island, Fort Myers severely damaged by Hurricane Ian in Lee He will make sure I wont be homeless.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. It was now twisted like a big metal pretzel and resting on the driveway. A photo out . Everyone herewere all family now. When they reached park road, they saw Sam Zemitis, a Marine Corps veteran, Kristy Millar, her husband, and 3-year-old Bryce. He was air-drying underwear on a rack outside. Fred Newhall outside his damaged home in Fort Myers, Fla., on Friday. WATCH: Drone footage shows extent of Hurricane Ian's damage in Fort Myers You may also find information posted on our Facebook page: Island Park Village Fort Myers Group 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. Neighbors giveMike Murphy credit for saving upwards of 27 lives,10 dogs and a cat by pulling people from their attics. "I have a son over there," he says, "and he doesn't like Florida." So they called. You won't live through a third time,' " Brigitte said. Hurricane Ian wrecked a mobile home park, but spared another across the "We'll see what happens tomorrow. The festival will feature a live band, several food trucks, local. Listen to what your local officials are telling you. Source: Florida Public Service Commission. "(At least) I'm with somebody.". @jackhealynyt Facebook, A version of this article appears in print on, On Floridas Islands, Scenes of Paradise Lost, Maybe for Good, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/30/us/fort-myers-beach-hurricane-ian.html. Hurricane Ian damage in Fort Myers: Photos, video from Twitter, TikTok 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. Whole blocks of beachfront homes and businesses were . Communities close to Ians furious path were almost entirely in the dark. As the storm emerged as a threat to Florida in late September, forecasts initially had it headed for the Tampa Bay area.

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