Hurricane Ian was a storm like no other for Southwest Florida and the past 12 months have been a year like no other
A year of tears A year of uncertainty A year of fears
A year of resolve A year of reflection A year of rebuilding
From the angst of September 29, 2022, to the hope of September 28, 2023, truly a time like no other
Our Breeze Newspapers story was similar to many of your stories in the wake of Ian
Was everyone OK? Thankfully, yes
Were our buildings intact? Not so much
Well, let’s say “partially ”
Would our business survive? I didn’t have an answer for that one
In those “wild, wild West” days immediately after Ian – as we all scrambled for the precious commodities of fuel, ice and wi-fi – I honestly did not know With the help of our sister papers, we had published digital editions a few days after the storm, but seeing the devastation on Matlacha and Fort Myers Beach – and imagining the devastation on Sanibel, which we couldn’t even get to – I didn’t
R ay Eckenrode Breeze Newspapers Publisherknow when or if we’d publish papers there again
Our newsroom team was doing what news people do best in time of trauma, plow ahead and report on it, sending a staffer to Miami (where that precious wi-fi was plentiful) to post news online and scrounging here for signal in “hot spots” like Publix parking lots to send it there But you can only operate in “emergency mode” for so long
Then came a phone call that changed it all for me
It came about two weeks after Ian from a Pine Island resident asking if there would be an Eagle delivered soon She
missed it, she said The community needed it, she added
And suddenly I knew everything was going to be all right Not in a day or a week or even a year, but eventually
And sure enough, on Oct 19, we printed 1,000 copies of the Pine Island Eagle and delivered them to about 10 locations on the island A few weeks later, we printed 2,000 In a month, we were delivering some papers again to driveways
It was largely the same story for our papers on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Cape Coral and North Fort Myers as readers and advertisers alike returned to their community newspapers
The readers had been changed by Ian The advertisers had been changed And so had the communities and the newspapers But into the future we marched together One step at a time One day at a time And now, one year at a time
Ray Eckenrode is the publisher of Breeze Newspapers He moved to Cape Coral in 2019 and Hurricane Ian was his first hurricane experience
By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com
Th e t h i r d - c o s t l i e s t h u r r i c a n e i n U n i t e d S t a t e s h i s t o r y d i r e c t l y i m p a c t e d S o u t h w e s t F l o r i d a o n e y e a r a g o , f o r e v e r c h a n g i n g t h e l i v e s , a n d l a n d s c a p e , t h a t s o m a n y c a l l h o m e
Arriving as a high-end Category 4 storm with sustained wind gusts over 150 mph, Hurricane Ian is a storm that will never be forgotten by those who experienced its power The system spanned more than 500 miles wide and was the most substantial storm to ever hit the Southwest Florida
After evolving into a tropical storm on Sept 21, by the time Ian had arrived to the
Gulf side of Florida, it had increased to a Category 4 level storm, and even reached Category 5 criteria before making landfall just below peak strength
Originally forecasted to impact further north along the coast, Ian had other plans and veered right towards Southwest Florida, officially arriving on Sept 28
When the wind and rain subsided, thousands of homes, and lives, were lost
Ultimately, Ian resulted in 161 fatalities, 150 of which were in Florida with more than 70 occurring in Lee County, far and away the deadliest county for Ian
Barrier Islands were underwater, bridges were collapsing, roofs were being ripped off like an old Band-Aid
Lee County officials report the total estimated cost of the storm sits at $297 3 million, with the majority of costs associated
with debris removal, solid waste, and emergency protective measures
Since the storm, 6 29 million cubic yards of debris has been collected throughout the county, to go along with 3 83 million in vegetation, 2 3 million in construction and demolition debris, 36,000 cubic yards of concrete and 145,000 cubic yards of dirty sand
The county and its residents have worked relentlessly to get back on its feet and restore some sense of normalcy to everyday life Throughout the county, 101 parks are now open, with three being partially open and nine having to close
While Ian will never be forgotten, residents around Southwest Florida hope to never face anything like it again
Fort Myers Beach after Ian COURTESY OF LEE COUNTY
That’s why local singer-songwriter Madison Morris decided to vent the best way he knew how following Hurricane Ian through his music
Morris, along with his wife Melissa Morris, penned the tug-at-your-heartstrings resilience anthem “We’re All Still Here ”
The bluesy-country song details the experiences Morris, and many residents, went through on Sept 28, 2022, and in the aftermath
The couple, who have resided in Cape Coral since 2006, were forced to relocate after Ian churned through Southwest Florida, as their rental home by the Yacht Club took on 3 feet of water
Having got some frustrations out through a social media post in the aftermath, Morris and Melissa expanded upon those thoughts, crafted them, and worked them into lyrics over a guitar They could have never imagined the impact it would have on the community
“It’s been interesting from a songwriter s point of view to see it go from something that started as a very kind of sad release of emotion, and now when I play it, there’s kind of an ‘anthem’ feel,” Morris said
“It makes me feel great that people find meaning in the song, " Melissa added “Even people that weren t here for the hurricane, there’s some messaging in the song that can be something they relate to ”
The song has been No 1 on local US41 Radio for eight weeks and has amassed more than 200,000 views across social media
Saw the sunrise for the first time since the ‘cane/ Look into my neighbor’s eyes, and all I see is pain . . . The skyline has changed, so many local places gone/But just like the people of the islands, you know we’ll carry on . . . We are not lost/Our hearts are not broke/We are not lost/Because I know that we’ll rebuild it all.”
~From “We’re All Still Here”
So, how did it all come together?
“We sat up one night and wrote the song, Morris, 38, said I usually have this big idea of what a song should be, and I write out a long story (For this song), it just happened to be my Facebook post right after the storm where I kind of put my thoughts into one place Melissa is very organized and keeps me together, so she pretty much sat here and worked it down into short form And I had a guitar chord progression that was just waiting on something, and it paired just great It was more of a therapeutic thing for us even to get our thoughts down into one spot and just try and describe what we’ve been thorough because it s so significant And significant for a lot of people ”
The smooth vocal stylings and guitar strumming, coupled with powerful lyrics, makes this song hit home to all that went through Ian
Lyrics such as, “I look into my neighbor ’s eyes, and all I see is pain” and “hoping it was all a nightmare on the Lee County shore,” paint a picture of exactly the heartache and loss felt with the storm
There are also messages of resilience Morris sings: “Just like the people of the islands, you know we'll carry on
“We lost a good few, but those of us that remain, we’ll raise a beer ” And of course, “We’re all still here ”
As a guitarist, Morris is simply and purposefully genre-defying by being able to marry his tone and style that he has developed over 20 years of practice to anything from country to electronic dance to
Cape Coral singer-songwriter Madison Morris and his wife Melissa wrote “We’re All Still Here” a heart-string-tugging anthem of loss, strength and resilience
COURTESY OF MELISSA MORRIS
R&B/hip-hop Being raised with Texas blues at the helm of his musical influence, Madison focuses on the entire range of the guitar
Morris said he and Melissa had been working to take the next step in his musical journey, moving from place to place, when the storm hit Morris said the standstill thrust him more into the local music scene, as before Ian he was looking to mostly craft his original tracks and perform at festivals
“I started playing locally at some of the events after the hurricane,” Morris said “It was really good to see the music community come to life after that
It really made me start playing out to local crowds in the Cape, Fort Myers, Punta Gorda, and Naples ”
He recalls hearing stories from people, what they had just gone through, and how they’re all lucky to still be here
“It was a wild experience It really was, Morris said It s been a real wild ride this whole past year ”
Morris said he plans to take revenue generated from the song on social media
to give back to the community He is no stranger to being a voice for the community, as Morris has previously run for Cape Coral City Council and served in prominent civic roles
He will be performing during the Island Hopper Music Festival on Sept 29 at 8:15 p m at the Yucatan Beach Stand on Fort Myers Beach, just one day after the one year anniversary of Ian
“I’m probably going to have to pull it together to play that one,” Morris said
Since the song debuted, Morris has released his album, and hopes this song can be a vehicle to something bigger down the line The song has even been submitted as a nomination to a very prestigious music awards show
“I’m much more of a guitarist and settling in to the fact that I’ll just play guitar for somebody else, and then this song kind of gave me that second jolt to give it one more try,” Morris said
For more information on Morris, his music, and to watch the “We’re All Still Here” music video, visit www madison morrismusic com
By Nathan Mayberg nmayberg@breezenewspapers com
On e y e a r a f t e r H u r r i c a n e
I a n l e f t F o r t M y e r s B e a c h
l o o k i n g l i k e a w a r - t o r n v i l l a g e w i t h 1 6 d e a d a n d h u nd r e d s o f h o m e s d e s t r o y e d , t h e i s l a n d r e m a i n s a l m o s t u n r e c o gnizable Sometimes referred to as Lee County’s playground, the island has b e e n w o r k i n g n o n s t o p t o r e c o v e r f r o m u t t e r d e v a s t a t i o n
The days of debris 10 feet high covering every street are thankfully over Yet hundreds of houses and condominium units remain uninhabitable For condos buildings, the delay has been largely due to a shortfall in insurance payouts, lack of elevators and lag in the supply chain for electrical parts
More than 1,000 homes, businesses and buildings have been permitted for demolition
The town has made great strides though it isn’t out of the woods The town hall is currently a trailer, which will be replaced by another trailer, with no funding in place for a permanent town hall Times Square lost most of its businesses – from the ice cream parlors to the PierSide Grille and Famous Blowfish Bar and Pier Peddler
The Fort Myers Beach Pier, a main tourist destination owned by Lee County, has fallen apart Fort Myers Beach Councilmember Bill Veach, whose beachfront home and truck were washed away by Hurricane Ian, is still optimistic about the future
Both were initially told a rebuild was necessary, though Loughery has since been told by the town a variance could save it
““It’s been like a yo-yo,” Ms Veach said Loughery spent five days on his roof protesting a town and state decision which determined he would need to rebuild the garage After discussions between the town, state officials and FEMA, an agreement was reached whereby the garage could be saved with a town variance for an accessory structure
“We’re happy that they were able to come to the conclusion that it’s safe,” Loughrey said of the 30-foot structure he and his wife spend $100,000 to build four years ago “That’s why I went up there (to the garage roof) There weren’t enough answers I’m glad we got an answer ”
Insurance matters
Many homes and businesses on the island didn’t have insurance The cost was prohibitive for them Those with insurance have complained about being reimbursed for flood but not wind The payments are sometimes a fraction of the repair costs
owners
A former chairman of the Indiana Insurance Commission, Atterholt said he is waiting on an investigation by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation which could force the insurance carrier to pay the claims after a market conduct exam as well as pay fines
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Atterholt said He called the conduct by some insurance companies to be “systemic corruption ”
Atterholt was on the island during the storm
“We could smell smoke in the stairwell We thought we were going to burn to death,” he said
They stayed, in part, because Brenda is a nurse and they wanted to help two elderly couples in the building
The Atterholts had been hoping to return there by the end of this year but now said the delay could extend into next year His wife may return to her family’s home in Wisconsin while Atterholt said he may have to move in with family members in the area
“We’re on a very long road When you sit on a very long road, you see the distance but you also have to look back at how far you have come,” he said “This was uninhabitable ”
He and wife Randa live in a trailer and their garage may have to be torn down, but it’s easy to see why they want to stay Miles of the Gulf of Mexico stare back at them from their yard They lost trees though a gumbo limbo, the town’s official tree, survived along with some palm trees and seagrapes Ms Veach has been replanting their native garden that earned her an award from the Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program
For months, they have been unsure if they could save their garage, which survived Ian State code would require them to raise its elevation four feet
“I don’t want to tear it down,” Mr Veach said He was told he might be able to save it as Beach resident Rick Loughery saved his
Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt has been living with his wife Brenda in a home they are renting near the town hall complex since his beachfront condo at Bermuda Dunes suffered extensive damage to its first floor in the hurricane
“We had 18 feet of storm surge,” Atterholt said FEMA was assisting them with rent but that ran out
One year after Ian, Atterholt said his condo is still uninhabitable due to an inability by the condo owner ’s association to get reimbursement on wind insurance, along with delays in obtaining equipment to repair the building’s electric, plumbing and elevator
“We’ve run out of money until we get insurance,” Atterholt said of the condo
The elevator issue cited by Atterholt at Bermuda Dunes has been seen at many other condos which can’t open yet, as well as the Fort Myers Beach Library
Dave Nusbaum, president of Island Winds Condominium Association, said their insurance has reimbursed them millions of dollars less than they have put in for
“Island Winds continues to suffer from delayed insurance payments from both wind and flood (FEMA) carriers Hiring public adjusters and attorneys is a necessity if you want to be paid,” Nusbaum said Supply chain shortages continue to plague recovery efforts with electrical
Continued on page 12a
We’re on a very long road. When you sit on a very long road, you see the distance but you also have to look back at how far you have come. This was uninhabitable.”
Bill Veach Fort Myers Beach CouncilmemberBeach resident Rick Loughery spent five days on his roof protesting a town and state decision which determined he would need to rebuild the garage He has since been told by the town, a variance could save it NATHAN MAYBERG Dave Nusbaum, president of Island Winds Condominium Association, said their insurance has reimbursed them millions of dollars less than they have put in for NATHAN MAYBERG Fort Myers Beach Councilmember Bill Veach and his wife Randa live in a trailer and their garage may have to be torn down after their beachfront home and truck were washed away by Hurricane Ian NATHAN MAYBERG
switchgear leading the list Elevator repair is also very slow as limited vendors struggle with the monumental task of rebuilding ”
Nusbaum hopes condo owners can return in January
The lucky ones
One fortunate group on the island are the folks at Estero Bayside Confronted with more than $1 million in damages after 16 feet of storm surge from Ian, they were one of the first condo buildings to reopen
Jim Farley, president of the condo board and retired journalist, said the key was cooperation With a damaged fire suppression system and a pool that looked like the “black lagoon,” Farley went to work calling contractors with the help of other owners
If you wanted three quotes, you had to call 15 people,” Farley said They replaced their fire suppression system and ordered a generator
“It was temporary insanity,” he said
Critical to their rebuild was getting the cost of their clubhouse rebuilt under $250,000 to stay under FEMA s 50-50 rule Between the new pool, clubhouse and condo towers, the place can now substitute for Hollywood’s Paramount Studios
The fix wasn’t cheap They had to raise about $1 2 million in assessments from owners to pay for the difference in their insurance coverage (which only covered $329,000 of the damages)
The quick turnaround at Estero Bayside allowed two families who lost their homes on Fort Myers Beach to purchase condos at their building
Farley said condo owner Mike Cole was the hero of this place helping to fix, repair and save items including the pool grill, which came in handy with no electricity for a month
“We never felt unsafe but we wondered what was going to happen afterwards,” he said As water seeped in through their windows, they saw dozens of cars wrecked
Jim Jerele, president of the association’s building committee and a retired vice president of the United Food and Commercial Works International Union, spoke of the irony of receiving aid from the American Red Cross at Santini Plaza after Ian “I used to sit on the Red Cross board,” he said Challenges, prog ress and state aid
Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers sees progress since Ian landed
“Coming from where we started almost a year ago, the town is progressing as well as can be expected Progress always seems much slower than we would like, but as you look around you see the incredible progress we have made and realize we still have a long way to go,” Allers said
He sees the biggest hurdle to recovery as being the speedy issue of building permits
“Our biggest challenge we face today is getting our permit process fixed We must strive to get our residents back in their homes and businesses open as soon as possible This is something we can change, and we are working to implement that now,” Allers said
The state provided personnel to aid the town’s small permitting department, but pulled back in March More than $2 billion in property taxable valuation was lost
“Over the next year we will return to Tallahassee to ask for help in replacing the tax revenue we lost that day,” Allers said
The town manager ’s office sent a list of priorities to the town’s state representatives earlier this year, requesting reimbursement for revenue lost, $24 million for a town hall, funds for lighting and roads The funding never made it into the state budget Gov Ron DeSantis awarded an $11 9 million bridge loan to the town though it could be forgiven The town also received $10 million in stormwater assistance For its other requests, the town put in applications through the Florida Department of Emergency Management portal to access $350 million for hurricane recovery
statewide
The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce lost its Estero Boulevard building to Ian Chamber president Jacki Liszak responded with a booth named Roxie at Times Square to pass out information to visitors and has a new office location at Lovers Lane
What Liszak doesn’t have is her resort, the Sea Gypsy Inn, which was destroyed by Ian She said each time she looks at an old photo, her heart breaks
Liszak and her husband Scott Safford also own about 130 vacation rentals on the island Of those, only 50 survived and, as of June, only a dozen were being used
“The effects of the hurricane continue to be felt across the island, myself included,” Liszak said “Finding a path forward that makes business, financial and common sense is difficult and when you pair that
with your emotions, it s no wonder that all of us struggle each day to keep moving forward in a positive fashion ”
Liszak has advocated for the county to rebuild the Fort Myers Beach Pier, a critical component of the town’s rebuild, she said She has also called on the county to see more aid for businesses through a federal grant
Despite the challenges, Liszak said “Every day I see signs and hear stories of resiliency that encourage me and make me want to wake up each day fighting for our community’s recovery ”
Lend ing a hand
Fort Myers Beach is best known for its views of the Gulf of Mexico but the charitable efforts of the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation and Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club are also well documented
Combined, the two nonprofits distributed more than $800,000 to those in need after Hurricane Ian on Fort Myers Beach Most of that was through gift cards to families and island workers That was in addition to more than $100,000 in aid given by the Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation to local nonprofits earlier this year
It was an honor to be able to help both the individuals of Fort Myers Beach and the groups that support the community,” Fort Myers Beach Community Foundation President Robin Bush said Bush hopes the funds raised will “help some of the organizations that have been devastated get back on their feet
The largest recipient of aid was the Fort Myers Beach Public Library, which suffered more than $5 million in damage from Ian The funds from the foundation will be targeted to the children's area of the library
“We really want that rebuilt,” Bush said “It’s really important ” Bush said donations arrived from all over the country after Hurricane Ian
“It’s amazing to see all the people from around the country that have stepped up,” Bush said
Bush said the recovery on the island is “progressing It’s going to be a long haul It's slowly progressing The spirit is phenomenal ”
In October, after the island was shut down for a week with no re-entry in order to allow search and rescue teams to find the missing, Miramar Street resident Steve Martin was among those digging out their homes
“Send help,” he said at the time
Nearly one year later, Martin said he’s doing “pretty good” and counts himself and wife Laurie as “Very lucky Our home didn’t sustain as much damage as others ”
That’s Fort Myers Beach slang for they lost mostly everything on their first floor and their garden Musicians, they lost speakers, recording gear, amplifiers and microphones
“We saved our guitars, and we saved our sense of humor,” he said
The couple performs at Bonita Bill’s Waterfront Café
“We’re taking it one day at a time just like we always have,” Mr Martin said
k n e w i t w a s g o i n g t o b e I s e e a l o t o f g u e s t s o n t h e weekend ”
He thinks the success of Fort Myers Beach has more to do with the health of the water discharged from Lake Okeechobee
“It’s daunting,” said Jennifer Rusk, a member of the town’s Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force who volunteers with pop-up tents to inform visitors of the beach environment “Every day another building is coming down ”
Rusk said the sight can be “shocking ” She has been rebuilding her home after the roof suffered serious damage, as did her pool Most of her belongings on her first floor and garage were damaged
The town is “still really a mess,” Rusk said “We still have lots of cement in the streets It’s not a playground If you are sitting on the beach looking at the Gulf, you are on vacation If you turn around, you are surrounded by devastation ” No
Not everyone is coming back to Fort Myers Beach
Summer Stockton, a Realtor and former town council member, made the tough decision to demolish the home she lived in with her wife, local musician Sheena Brook They sold the lot after the home was damaged by Ian
“I felt like I didn’t even get a choice,” Stockton said
Before Ian, Stockton thought “This is where I will live and die ”
The home was leaning after being struck by a neighbor ’s house that washed away
“A lot of stuff ended up in our yard,” Stockton said
Their property at the end of Palermo Circle ended up getting a lot of debris that washed down their road near the bay
“We literally had just spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the property,” Stockton said
Before Ian, they put in a new pool, new dock, new fence, upgraded the garage and shored up the foundation of the 1935 home New appliances and furniture were all destroyed Stockton estimated it would cost more than $300,000 to rebuild the home After receiving $250,000 from insurance, they purchased a new house off island
They saved some belongings they had placed high off the second floor
We were fortunate to salvage irreplaceable things like yearbooks, photo albums, some clothes,” Stockton said “The only reason we were able to save any of our clothes is because we got to it right away and washed it ”
Stockton and Brook stayed on the island through Ian with a neighbor When they returned home, they found strangers who had broken in Four vehicles were totaled Stockton explained why she stayed on the island through Ian
“A lot of us who were in (Hurricane) Charley said ‘never again’ because they kicked us off (island) and our places got mold,” Stockton said
“The hard part was not surviving the storm, but after the storm,” she said She spent eight to 10 hours a day on the phone with insurance and mortgage companies, checking on claims and filling out paperwork
“It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever gone through in my life,” she said
By Paulette LeBlanc pleblanc@breezenewspapers com
Wh e n H u r r i c a n e I a n r a v a g e d P i n e I s l a n d , M a t l a c h a P i n e I s l a n d F i re C o n t ro l D i s t r i c t C h i e f B e n M i c k u l e i t s a i d i s l a n d e r s t h e ms e l v e s , t h r o u g h t h e i r o w n s e l fl e s s a n d t i r e l e s s c o m m i t m e n t t o P i n e I s l a n d , b e c a m e i n s t r u m e nt a l i n h e l p i n g e f f o r t s i n t h e m i d s t o f t h e c h a o s I t h i n k t h a t t h e c o m m u n i t y a s a w h o l e c a m e t o g e t h e r a n d w a n t e d t o h e l p h o w e v e r t h e y c o u l d T h e b i g g e s t h e l p w e re c e i v e d w a s t h e o u t p o u r i n g o f s u pp o r t O u r q u e s t i o n w a s ' W h a t c a n w e d o f o r y o u ' a n d t h e re s p o n s e w a s , ' N o , n o , w h a t c a n w e d o f o r y o u ? ' T h a t w a s a m o r a l b o o s t f o r u s T h e w a y t h e y s u pp o r t e d u s a n d g a v e b a c k , ” M i c k u l e i t s a i d T h e d i s t r i c t h a d f o l l o w e d p ro t o c o l , p l a n n i n g f o r t h e w o r s t c a s e s c e n a r i o b y s e n d i n g h a l f t h e e q u i p m e n t a n d v e h i c l e s t o t h e m a i n l a n d i n c a s e o f f l o o d i n g W h e n t h e ro a d o n t h e o t h e r s i d e o f M a t l a c h a B r i d g e w a s t a k e n o u t , t h e f i re d e p a r t m e n t w a s i n n e e d o f h e l p M a n y P i n e I s l a n d e r s s t e p p e d f o r w a rd , o ff e r i n g t h e i r o w n v e h i c l e s o r b o a t s t o b e u s e d t o t r a n s p o r t p a t i e n t s f ro m t h e i r h o m e s t o t h e m a k e - s h i f t m e d - b a y w h e re t h e y c o u l d t h e n b e h e l i c o p t e re d o u t o r s e n t b y b o a t t o h o s p i t a l s o r m e d i c a l c e nt e r s o n t h e m a i n l a n d “ I f p e o p l e w a n t e d t o e v a c u a t e t h e i s l a n d , w e h a d a h e l i c o p t e r, b u t a l o t o f t i m e s w e t r a n s p o r t e d t h e m f ro m S t a t i o n 1 t o t h e Yu c a t a n R e s t a u r a n t a n d t h e n t r a n s p o r t e d t h e m v i a b o a t o ff i s l a n d w h e re t h e y w e re m e t b y L e e Tr a n o r s o m e o t h e r t r a n s p o r t a t i o n s y s t e m t o b r i n g t h e m e i t h e r t o a h o s p i t a l o r b r i n g t h e m t o a s h e l t e r, M i c k u l e i t s a i d T h i s p ro g r a m w a s e s t a b l i s h e d b y d a y t w o a f t e r t h e h u r r i c a n e , e m p h a s i z i n g t h e d e p a r t m e n t ’ s n e e d f o r c o m m u n i t y s u pp o r t , h e s a i d
R e s i d e n t s c a m e t o g e t h e r, c o l l e c t i n g h u r r i c a n e s u p p l i e s a n d a n y t h i n g u s e f u l t h e y h a d o n h a n d “ T h e y w e re w i l l i n g t o g i v e w h a t e v e r t h e y h a d t o p re t t y m u c h a n y b o d y i t w a s n e i g h b o r s h e l p i n g n e i g h b o r s , ” M i c k u l e i t s a i d A s s i s t a n t E M S C h i e f C o d y A l l e n s a i d t h e re w e re m u l t i p l e re p o r t s c o m i n g i n f ro m v a r i o u s i s l a n d n e i g h b o rh o o d s a b o u t re s i d e n t s s h a r i n g f ro m t h e i r o w n r a t i o n s o f f o o d a n d s u p p l i e s “ T h e re w e re n u m e ro u s s t o r i e s o f d i f -
f e re n t c o m m u n i t i e s , e v e n w i t h i n c o mm u n i t i e s , h e l p i n g e a c h o t h e r a n d s p re a d i n g w h a t e v e r t h e y h a d t o t h e i r n e i g h b o r s , ” A l l e n s a i d M i c k u l e i t h o p e s a n d b e l i e v e s t h e c l o s e - k n i t c o m m u n i t y c a n c o n t i n u e t o g ro w t o g e t h e r t o h a n d l e a n y t h i n g t h a t c o m e s t h ro u g h P i n e I s l a n d “ I t ’ s b e e n a y e a r I h o p e t h a t w e a s a c o m m u n i t y, d o n ’ t f o rg e t h o w c l o s e w e w e re a n d w e c o n t i n u e t o b e t h a t c l o s e , b e c a u s e t h a t s h o w w e a c c o m p l i s h t h i n g s a s a t e a m , ” M i c k u l e i t s a i d
Th i r d g e n e r a t i o n P i n e I s l a n d e r J i m m y Wi l l i a m s o n s a i d t h e p r i o r i t y f o r Wi l l i a m s o n B r o s M a r i n e C o n s t r u c t i o n d u r i n g t h e a f t e r m a t h o f H u r r i c a n e I a n w a s t o g e t f u e l t o t h e i s l a n d r e s i d e n t s I n t h e m i d s t o f t h i s , t h e y w e r e a l s o a b l e t o g i v e f u e l t o t h e P i n e I s l a n d Wa t e r A s s o c i a t i o n “ We g a v e t h e m 3 0 0 o r 5 0 0 g a l l o n s o f d i e s e l o n e d a y t o k e e p t h e p u m p s r u nn i n g We h e a rd t h e c o u n t y w a s n ’ t g o i n g t o b r i n g s u p p l i e s a n d t h a t e v e r y o n e n e e d e d t o e v a c u a t e a n d t h e re w e re p e op l e w e k n e w t h a t w e re n o t g o i n g t o e v a c u a t e ; t h e y w a n t e d t o s t a y a n d p rot e c t t h e i r p ro p e r t y, ” Wi l l i a m s o n s a i d A t L a v e n d e r ’ s L a n d i n g b o a t r a m p i n B o k e e l i a , Wi l l i a m s o n re c a l l s s e e i n g a re t i re d M a r i n e v e t e r a n w h o m h e b e l i e v e s m a y h a v e b e e n f ro m Wo r l d Wa r
I I , s t a n d i n g i n l i n e f o r g a s i n h i s M a r i n e c a p w h i l e c l u t c h i n g a n e m p t y g a s c a n A w o m a n , s t i l l i n h e r c a r, w o u l d n ’ t g e t o u t
o f l i n e , e v e n f o r a re s t ro o m b re a k “ We s e n t a n o t h e r b a rg e d o w n t o S t J a m e s C i t y t o e v a c u a t e s o m e o f o u r m e n a n d o u r w o r k t r u c k s t h a t w e re o n t h e i s l a n d b e c a u s e , s i m u l t a n e o u s l y, w e w e re b e i n g c a l l e d u p o n a s a c o n t r a c t o r t o b a rg e t h e p r i m e c o n t r a c t o r B E L F O R , t o m o b i l i z e t h e m b y b a rg e , o n S a n i b e l s o t h e y c o u l d p e r f o r m t h e e m e rg e n c y re p a i r s t o t h e c i t y o f S a n i b e l m u n i c i p a l b u i l d i n g s , t h e p o l i c e d e p a r t m e n t , f o r t h e i r e m e rg e n c y re s p o n s e , ” Wi l l i a m s o n s a i d B e c a u s e o f i t s l i c e n s e a s a ro o f i n g c o nt r a c t o r, Wi l l i a m s o n Bros f o u n d i t s e l f o n a s h o r t - l i s t f o r B E L F O R a n d w a s a b l e t o o ff e r e m e rg e n c y ro o f i n g re p a i r s T h e c o m p a n y w a s a l s o a b l e t o t r a n s p o r t p e rs o n n e l a n d m a t e r i a l s a s n e e d e d Wi l l i a m s o n s a i d h e a s k e d o n l y f o r t h e c o s t o f t h e f u e l o n t h e f i r s t d a y o f d e l i ve r i n g f u e l t o P i n e I s l a n d b u t , b y t h e e n d o f t h e d a y, h e f o u n d h i m s e l f g i v i n g t h e f u e l a w a y f re e o f c h a rg e , b e c a u s e s o m a n y d o n a t i o n s w e re c o m i n g i n f ro m o u t o f s t a t e , f ro m t h o s e w h o s a w p h o t o s a n d f o o t a g e o f P i n e I s l a n d a n d a l l t h a t H u r r i c a n e I a n h a d w ro u g h t I t w a s t h e n t h a t Wi l l i a m s o n s a i d h e d i re c t e d t h e f u n d s t o t h e M a t l a c h a
H o o k e r s M a t l a c h a H o o k e r J u l i a G a y l o r w a s i n s t r u m e n t a l i n t h e e ff o r t s m a d e b y Wi l l i a m s o n Bros f o l l o w i n g H u r r i c a n e I a n , h e s a i d , d e s c r i b i n g G a y l o r a s a 2 4h o u r h o t l i n e , w i t h m a s s i v e a m o u n t s o f e n e rg y “ A f t e r I d e l i v e re d f u e l , I c a m e o u t w i t h a t r u c k a n d d e l i v e re d b u i l d i n g s u p p l i e s t h a t t h e y ( t h e M a t l a c h a H o o k e r s ) c o l l e c t e d I d e l i v e re d t o re s id e n t s o n t h e i s l a n d t h a t d i d n ’ t h a v e a t r u c k t o p u t d r y w a l l , p l y w o o d t h i n g s l i k e t h a t , ” Wi l l i a m s o n s a i d I n a m u l t i - j o i n t v e n t u re p u rc h a s e o n e y e a r l a t e r, Wi l l i a m s o n Bros M a r i n e C o n s t r u c t i o n h a s a c q u i re d t h re e l o c a l m a r i n a s ; J u g C re e k M a r i n a , Wa l l a c e M a r i n a , a n d S a i n t J a m e s C i t y M a r i n a , w h e re t h e re w i l l b e a d d i t i o n a l d o c k s p a c e f o r P h u z z y ’ s B o a t S h a c k
Williamson Bros Marine Construction is at 2944 South St , in Fort Myers For more information, call 239-283-2013 or visit www wbdockbuilders com
Cars in line for fuel, thanks to Williamson Bros at Lavender’s Landing Boat Ramp COURTESY OF WILLIAMSON BROS MARINE CONSTRUCTION
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Put on each year by the GermanAmerican Social Club of Cape Coral over two weekends in October, the usual festive Biergarten grounds were used as a staging area for utility and line workers rather than a place full of gemutlichkeit, a German word that conveys the feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer
Since the storm, the GASC has played a major role in helping feed the community, as well as returning the grounds to a place where residents from all over the region can come an enjoy a good time
“The club and community have responded to Ian in similar fashion Our initial despair quickly turned to defiance from our collective will to survive and gradually evolved to resiliency which will be the lasting legacy of this shared hardship,” said GASC president Stephen Bauer
In the calendar year since Ian wrought damage to the GASC grounds and Von Steuben Hall, Bauer and the club have recovered in a big way There have been multiple “Biergartenfests” over the months, as the club hoped to make up for
Stephen Bauer GAS C Presidentthe loss of Oktoberfest -- not just for the entertainment and joy it brings, but to help with recovery costs of being inoperable for three months
“While the club was closed, we relied on our reserves to fund operating expenses including emergency repair and cleanup contracts,” Bauer said “Our reserves were saved up over decades of financial planning by every board of directors since the 1990s Upon reopening, the GASC had to ramp up activity to regain a normal revenue stream This was kickstarted by a weekend festival at the end of
“February which had overwhelming support from the community Since then, we have been more active than ever to maintain our recovery
Immediately following Ian, GASC teamed up with local, and non-local entities to help give back while working to get back on its own feet
“The days after the storm were spent assessing damage and assigning recovery responsibilities to personnel from our volunteer members on key service committees,” Bauer reflected “We also had alliances with our neighbors at Bubba’s Roadhouse as well as a visiting disaster response team from a large insurance adjuster company we allowed to set up temporary camp on our grounds Daily barbecue meals were provided for free to those in need, and donations were collected by patrons wanting to contribute ”
The best news of all? Oktoberfest is on schedule, bringing with it all that’s traditional: authentic German food, flare, drinks, dance, music, and more
“We are 100 percent back and looking forward to commemorating the one-year milestone as the host venue for a benefit concert promoted by the city of Cape Coral at the end of September and culminating the following month with Oktoberfest 2023,” Bauer said
This year ' s festivities are planned for the weekends of Oct 20-22, and 27-29
The club, at 2101 SW Pine Island Road, opens its doors to members and the public for dinner and dancing every Friday night at 5:30 Visit www gasc-capecoral com for more information
By Tiffany Repecki trepecki@breezenewspapers com
Ju s t a s g o v e r n m e n t o p e r a t i o n s , r e s i d e n t s a n d b u s i n e s s e s o n t h e i s l a n d s w e r e h i t h a r d b y H u r r i c a n e I a n a n d f a c e r e b u i l d i n g , s o w e r e n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n s t h a t h e l p t o p r o v i d e f o r t h o s e i n t h e c o m m u n i t y
F I S H of Sanibel-Captiva, the only social services agency on Sanibel-Captiva, and Community Housing and Resources, which manages the only affordable housing program, experienced the same fallout from the storm after it swept through Lee County on Sept 28, 2022 as did their clients
F I S H Executive Director Maria
Espinoza reported that the Walk-In Center on Periwinkle Way flooded in the surge waters, despite being elevated a few feet
It houses the food pantry and offices
“It basically destroyed the inside of the building,” she said of the flooding “It devastated our commercial refrigeration, our food pantry, our offices where we do one-on-one intakes ”
Due to the growing need on the islands and program expansions, F I S H secured an ancillary space on Palm Ridge Road in 2021 for equipment and file storage Some services were also conducted onsite
“That was also devastated during the storm,” Espinoza said
“But F I S H is not new at responding to these types of disasters,” she added
Staff began working with those who had evacuated the islands for shelters
They returned to the islands only four days after the hurricane and pivoted on programming to meet critical needs In partnership with the city and emergency agencies, F I S H offered water and ice, set up charging stations and more
In addition to the boots on the ground work, it established a temporary office in Fort Myers
“We were able to operate out of there to flush out rent assistance, utility assistance, medical bills from the storm and connecting people with possible resources for employment,” Espinoza said
CHR Executive Director Nicole DeckerMcHale explained that prior to Ian s landfall, it had 78 rental units that housed island employees, retirees and the disabled 104 residents, including 26 youths
“After Hurricane Ian, every property that we own had damage,” she said “We had 104 residents that were left homeless ”
The lucky displaced residents took up temporary living quarters with family or friends
We had a number of them that were homeless,” Decker-McHale said
The extent of the storm’s damage varied among the properties and units There were roofs damaged, along with gutters, soffits, siding and windows Some of the homes sustained flooding, leading to water damage and mold Air-conditioning units and appliances were broken Carports and storage areas filled with debris and muck from the surge A few
At the extreme end, there were structural issues involving pilings and support beams and the complete loss of 11 units A single rental on Algiers Lane will be demolished and not rebuilt due to the damages The 10-unit Riverview building will also be torn down because of FEMA's 50% Rule
“Five units downstairs flooded and the structure of the building is an issue,” she said “Because of safety reasons, we weren't going to be able to remediate it ”
One year after the hurricane wrecked havoc on the islands and as recovery and restoration continues, F I S H recently celebrated the acquisition of the former Gene’s Books, located next to its center Espinoza explained that they were given an estimate of three years to fully restore their main center
“And we had known before the storm that we were outgrowing our space,” she said
The food pantry reopened in December, with volunteers still working without power and water
We have to think about the people We've got to continue to serve,” Espinoza said, noting that the building purchase
The days after the storm were spent assessing damage . . . We also had alliances with our neighbors at Bubba’s Roadhouse . . . Daily barbecue meals were provided for free to those in need, and donations were collected by patrons wanting to contribute.”
After Hurricane Ian, every property that we own had damage. We had 104 residents that were left homeless.”
Nicole Decker-McHale CHR Executive Director
According to Lee County’s “Ian Progress Report” as of July 27, initial damage estimates show Ian caused over $112 billion in damage to residential and commercial structures When it came ashore in Lee as a Category 4, it had a wind speed of 155 mph and gusts at 161 mph shy of a Category 5
As the landfall site, the county was one of the hardest hit areas, if not the hardest hit The hurricane impacted every county beach, all the county parks and every traffic signal It generated an estimated 12 million cubic yards of debris and left more than 130,000 immediately in need of housing assistance
Lee County had received Hurricane Housing Recovery Program funds totaling about $9 1 million, along with 1,083 trailers through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s and Florida Division of Emergency Management’s temporary trailer programs as of the most recent Ian Progress Report
In terms of FEMA Individual Assistance, the funds total $477 7 million Seven hundred seventy-five households have been approved for direct housing, and 23,704 have been approved for rent assistance Repair and replacement assistance stands at $299 09 million, and rent assistance totals $6 02 million
The “County Government Damage Assessment Inventory” is an estimated cost of $297 3 million
Within Lee, the barrier islands sustained the heaviest storm damages, including Sanibel and Captiva
According to a June finance report from city staff, Sanibel’s “Working Damage Inventory” based on FEMA's categories totaled about $104 75 million The estimated project costs were broken down as: $600,000 for debris removal; $18 17 million for emergency protective measures; $7 08
Sanibel-Captiva
million for roads and bridges; $2 million for water control facilities; $5 85 million for buildings and equipment; $53 01 million for utilities; and $18 05 million for parks, recreational facilities and other items
Within the draft budget for fiscal year 2023-24 presented to the Sanibel City Council in August, staff pointed out a line item of $85,047,961 for “Hurricane Ian Related Repairs” under the Capital Plan Deputy City Manager Steve Chaipel explained that as of early September, the city had received $2,406,281 from FEMA as a partial, storm payroll reimbursement and $518,400 from the state as a reimbursement for the ferry operations it ran until the Sanibel Causeway was repaired for traffic
The city also entered into a $15,260,511 Local Government Emergency Bridge Loan with the state
Chaipel continued that the city has been approved for state and federal grant awards, which are going through the execution process There is about $33 million from the state for wastewater and stormwater repairs and $13 1 million from the state for beach renourishment An emergency beach berm restoration project entails about $7 7 million from FEMA, with a cost-share of about $2 6 million from the state
While the county’s Ian Progress Report was not broken down by areas, it did list FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and FEMA Public Assistance estimates for all of unincorporated Lee, which Captiva
was made possible with grants and financial donations from prior supporters
“There’s 500 visits every month,” she added “People are depending on us ”
The goal was to open operations at the new site in mid-September It will house the food pantry, along with staff to provide F I S H ' s four pillars of service, plus emergency and long-term recovery aid
With the addition of the new building, it is no longer utilizing the Palm Ridge space
In July, F I S H announced a partnership with Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church to provide services out of the church's new The Gathering Place @ St Michael s Along with offering its own assistance and resources, F I S H partners SalusCare and Project H O P E are onsite to help
While we re navigating this new territory, F I S H remains committed to carrying on with our four pillars of services because we know those are going to be the key to recovery,” Espinoza said
They are food programs, education programs, senior programs and financial assistance
“We are back to full capacity in all of our programs except one, which is our transportation program,” she said, explaining that it is heavily dependent on volunteers “Our volunteer base took a big hit ”
F I S H has also launched additional programs with newly formed partnerships, like the Tool Shed Program with the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club Residents can borrow tools for rebuilding for free
“Since the storm, there’s been a lot of changes that we’ve had to make with our programming, Espinoza said But it s always been about ‘neighbors helping neighbors ’”
“We’re committed to making sure people have what they need,” she added
As for CHR, it continues to restore its units as quickly as possible one year later in order to welcome residents back home
As of Aug 22, 44 of the units had been remediated, with 22 still under repair
“We have 62 residents that have moved in and 11 of them are children,” DeckerMcHale said
“We have been working diligently to repair as many as we can,” she added
The 12-unit Woodhaven on Casa Ybel Road had its roof replaced, and soffits and
gutters are finished The carport and storage sheds are repaired, and an elevator remodernization is planned next year
Featuring 12 units for senior living, Casa Mariposa on Periwinkle Way requires a roof replacement, along with the finishing of soffit and gutter repairs It was one of the buildings to sustain water damage and mold But the carports have been cleaned out, and it has elevator remodernization set for 2024
A couple of the buildings at the 14-unit Mahogany Way off of Wooster Lane have had their roofs replaced, plus the soffits and gutters repaired The rest of them are still waiting their turn Some of the property's stairs had to repaired and the concrete pad pit shell that washed away has been refilled
The 12-unit Airport Way off of Casa Ybel Road required roof replacements and those are dried in Soffit and gutter repairs are needed, but the skylights in some of the units that were leaking after the storm have been removed Also, some of the stairwells going to the apartments had to be replaced
is a part of There is a total estimated projects costs of $293 9 million for the mitigation program, with $293 9 million in obligated funds and $276 million in projects costs for the public aid
In terms of hurricane recovery on the islands one year later, things are running and operational
The Sanibel City Hall is open for business, though meetings cannot be held in the council chambers until the elevator is repaired for ADA compliance; Building and Planning are working out of the Library Way location The Sanibel Recreation Center is serving users, but the gym floor needs work
Chaipel reported that the Donax Wastewater Reclamation Facility is back to full operation but additional repairs are needed, including to the lift stations, collection pipes and plant itself
The East Periwinkle Bridge is repaired and functioning, but it will need to replaced in a few years
The Sanibel Lighthouse now stands with one temporary support leg after losing one in Ian Chaipel reported that staff are working with engineers and architects familiar with historical structures for the design and repair as the leg was salvaged Discussions are being held about the Caretakers Cottages
The beaches and beach parks and accesses are open to the public, along with those on Captiva
However, the Sanibel Causeway Islands Park remains closed as permanent repairs continue
Wooster/Lake Palms on Wooster Lane are private condos and CHR owns four units inside of the community Those residents are in the process of having a new roof put on, plus some siding
A combination of rentals and units in CHR's Limited Equity Ownership Program, the three at the Sanibel Highlands on Whitehall Road are going to have to be gutted and are unoccupied due to that Also housing a mix of rentals and LEO units, the 14-unit Centre Street off of Main Street had water intrusion through the windows, which resulted in mold It remains unoccupied as the contractor tries to determine the best way to remediate the situation, so the units do not have water issues in the future
Another rental-LEO combination comprised of five units, Beach Road on Beach Road remains unoccupied Its foundation needs to be structurally engineered and CHR was waiting on the quote
As for the to-be-demolished Riverview, Decker-McHale has been meeting with an architect and city staffers the affordable housing program falls under the purview of the city, but is managed by CHR
“We were talking about density and what size units we can build over there,” she said
They have the contract for the demolition and were waiting on permits Depending on permitting, demolition is estimated to take about one month, followed by about four months of rebuilding
In addition to housing, CHR provides some resources for its residents, including grant funds for rental assistance and distributing gift cards for food, school supplies and such as those donations come in
“Hurricane Ian greatly impacted this community Every single structure on the island has had some sort of impact,”
Decker-McHale said “The greatest impact has been to the people of the community ”
“But this community is a resilient community and everybody has been working hard to remediate their homes and properties,” she added “That is our main goal to provide a home So that our residents can get back in their homes ”
For more information about CHR, visit sancapchr org
For more information about F I S H , visit fishofsancap org
Despite public pleas to save the Ballroom building at the least, the site has been marked for demolition, with plans being drawn up on how the location will serve the community in its next iteration
The city in mid-August earmarked $1 million for the teardown that will include the Ballroom, Rotino Center, Harbor Master building, ticket booth, electric building, pool area, and pump house
The city has been favorable of the term "structural deconstruction" rather than demolition, and officials say they hope to reincorporate some of the old into the new
In late August, a randomly selected group of residents dubbed the Cape Coral Yacht Club Stakeholder Group stepped foot into the Ballroom, seeing first-hand the condition of the building and getting an idea of what could be preserved, and how
The group consists of 14 members of the public that will provide input to the hired architect firm Kimley Horn and the Cape Coral City Council on how some form of essence of the past can be represented in the Yacht Club s future
For many there, the Yacht Club is a vehicle back to their childhood
“For me, it’s sad,” said Michael Przystawik, a Cape resident since 1964 and member of the stakeholder group “I grew up in this pool My dad was a fountain operator at night, so we had all day, every day to hang out in the pool ”
The Cape Coral Yacht Club was opened in June of 62 by Gulf American Land Corporation and the Rosen Brothers, and is the remaining original public structure still standing in the Cape It has been used as a community gathering spot for the
past 60-plus years and is a location near and dear to many of Cape Coral’s residents
In 1998, the Cape Coral City Council adopted a resolution declaring “the Yacht Club Community Park as an historic and/or cultural resource as provided in the city of Cape Coral historic and cultural preservation ordinance ” It was signed by then mayor Roger Butler on April 23
Pioneer resident and former two-time city council member Gloria Tate worked to secure historical designation from the state when it came to the Yacht Club, and
began the process to get national designation Tate, who requested a hearing from Council in July, was told the ballroom and site were to be demolished due to the cost of repairs in the wake of Hurricane Ian and what the city called “deferred maintenance ” City officials said these things made repairing the facility and bring it to current standards too costly
“I was very excited about that and I was very proud of the fact that this historical building qualified for all the right reasons,” she said "(I am) very disheartened that it is not going to change the direction of the Council ”
While the pier was swept away and the riverfront beach area and structures took heavy damage as did many residences along the Cape’s Gold Coast, the Ballroom building itself incurred relatively little storm damage A city of Cape Coral insurance claim puts hurricane-related damage to the city’s first community center at just under $25,000
Damage to the building came from rainwater that entered through windows broken by wind from Hurricane Ian There was also wind damage to metal roof facia and the roof edge of the club house; wind damage to the wood fence that surrounds the outside air-conditioning units; gutter damage on the attached locker room building caused by a fallen tree and wind damage to the portico at the front of the building
The adjustment letter states that the main roof had incurred damage from an earlier storm and was already tarped over some portions and that support beams showed age-related stress
that may have been exacerbated by Ian but that damage was not determined to be permanent
The redesign process for what the Yacht Club will evolve into has not been fully completed Plans are to keep the openfloor concept and have a large space for multi-purpose use
Points of discussion for stakeholders
Continued on page 21a
For many, the Yacht Club is a vehicle back to their childhood
“For me, it’s sad,” said Michael Przystawik, a Cape resident since 1964 and member of the stakeholder group who recently went through a Yacht Club tour
“I grew up in this pool My dad was a fountain operator at night, so we had all day, every day
out in the pool ”
CJ HADDADAbove: There was one solid consensus for preservation All of the Council members were in favor of saving the glass doors, with some having ideas as to how to incorporate them into the design of a new building at the city park off Driftwood Parkway
At right: The fireplace inside the Ballroom drew Cape Coral City Council interest for possible preservation however it was determined the stones likely would crumble upon removal Re-creation was suggested, possibly in an outdoor location
Below: The Tony Rotino Senior Center served as the then-budding community’s teen center in the early years of Cape Coral Ian heavily damaged the building, and it is scheduled to be torn down
CJ HADDAD
Above: There was talk of preserving items in the ballroom, such as these exterior posts and beam supports Through discussions, many challenges were shared, ranging from cleaning and refinishing items, potential for breakage, as well as storing the items, items not original to the building, and having structural evaluation and certification before using in another structure Cape Coral Museum of History representatives identified some of the control panels, as it had a vintage electronic fixture that they wanted to incorporate in a display at the museum
At left: The pool area at the Yacht Club
CJ HADDAD
involved the ceiling beams, if they can be incorporated into the new building as an aesthetic look, or repurposed in other ways
The stonework inside of the historic, mid-century style building, along the walls and fireplace, is in discussion to possibly be repurposed Questions of how much and which parts individually are a focal point
“I think the high beams in the main hall are such a stunning feature,” Przystawik said “It’s what you always think of when you walk into this building As we discuss (what we save), my suggestion was to try and replicate that feel as a decorative ele-
ment so that we don’t have to worry about the engineering and stresses " Parts of the terrazzo floor, a popular design that is seldom seen anymore, could be saved and used for signage or a new site element
The four chandeliers hanging inside the ballroom are not the original, and were reported to have wiring issues and slated to be replaced Talks currently lean towards not reincorporating them into the new design As for the fountain outside, project managers state there are early plans to have a new fountain, more resembling the original design, at the new Yacht Club, in a new location
During a followup workshop held Sept 13, Council took a consensus to save the glass doors and not much else Capital Improvement Director Paul Clinghan said as far as the total schedule, if the city “piggybacks” and uses an already-approved vendor they could shave 30 days off the demolition schedule
“At the end of January 2024 could be the three-month duration to actually move everything forward Documents are still ready at the end of September,” he said, adding at the end of October, the award would be executed with the piggyback option “October notice to proceed and three months to actually do the work ”
Fo r m a n y o f u s i n S o u t h w e s t
F l o r i d a , T V m e t e o r o l o g i s t s
w e r e t h e l i t e r a l f a c e s a n d
f a m i l i a r v o i c e s a s h u n d r e d s o f t h o u s a n d s o f r e s i d e n t s r o d e o u t H u r r i c a n e I a n
As we mark the one year anniversary of Ian, a storm that changed and continues to change the lives of so many, we revisit some of the forecasters whose professional and personal lives also were changed that fateful week
The week of Hurricane Ian was the
worst week of NBC2 chief meteorologist Allyson Rae’s professional life
“I felt pretty prepared I looked at my house and did some things to button it up and went to work,” she said
Once at work, Rae helped talk Southwest Florida through the relentless pummeling of Ian as the storm tore up her own home and the community she calls home
“I could not keep my emotions out of it,” Rae said of her broadcasts “I was sad, mad, frustrated, shocked, tired Once it hit and I realized what it did to my town, I was emotional I wasn’t afraid to show that because I am human ”
For a meteorologist, the overtime starts before the storm comes onshore, as they are broadcasting the latest forecast and relaying as much information as needed to prepare their viewers So the importance of
being prepared is critical as she knows she will be working extra hard
As a meteorologist, Rae practices what she preaches prepare collect those items she likes and knows she will need before the start of hurricane season, so she is not part of the frenzy of everyone trying to stock up on supplies
“If you just stay prepared the whole time, then when it comes, you are not freaking out,” she said “I try to keep stocked ”
There was a whole week leading up to the storm in getting prepared and then
four days after the storm of not being able to move around the area
The 12-to 16-hours work days continued, while she balanced work and trying to get her house cleaned out at the same time
“I had 3 feet of water in my home I had to balance that It never really stopped The next month was hard for me I couldn’t stay at my house I was bouncing between friends’ houses,” Rae said
For seven to eight months following the storm, her schedule consisted of going to the gym, then to her home, which sometimes included showering before work at home, or at a friend’s house before heading into work
“The first week was the hardest I didn’t have a plan It was a lot of hard labor getting drywall out of my house I was not alone in that All my other neighbors along the Caloosahatchee were doing the same thing,” Rae said
There was definitely mental preparedness before broadcasting information about Hurricane Ian
“You just have to tell the facts and what you know and the worst-case scenario, or the best-case scenario It’s still a forecast at that point You see it on satellites You have to be calm and measured (You have to say) hey, this is a real scenario, and be completely straight,” Rae said “I wish I was wrong with Ian, but I knew I wasn’t going to be ”
With the knowledge of knowing people want as much information as possible, she went into overdrive without scaring people
“I see a need for more questions and more information I will never not share information You have to keep a measured approach,” she said “Once you have a really good grasp, you have to preach ”
She said it is important that people get real information with the latest updates, which does not include social media, as past posts may already be hours old
Her biggest fear going into this season is individuals comparing one hurricane with another
“The storm can be different It is my job to tell you how it is different You
can’t prepare less because you think it will be less,” Rae said
The unfortunate aspect of this storm is the amount of people it impacted, residents that are still repairing their homes before the 2023 hurricane season begins
“People have this sense to keep an eye on your house You can’t save your house Be responsible for yourself That is our goal next time the storm hits We can’t lose people like we did with Ian It was way too many One person is way too many,” she said “There is a lot of anxiety this year We are all spending a ton of money, time and effort putting our homes back together Just remember we are emotional, sensitive and to take deep breaths We live in Florida We are going to get hit with another storm Don’t let your guard down ”
Rae believes people should really look at their physical ability, to take a look at themselves and ask such questions as do I know how to swim through turbulent water, can I climb and can I move quickly with speed and purpose She said first responders cannot get to you right away and it is imperative you put yourself in a safe position before a storm
“It’s never too late to get to a safer spot You don’t have to go to the other
side of the state You can just drive east and hang out at a shelter, or go to an area that does not flood
Just find a friend, family member, shelter, budding business that will take you in for the day,” Rae said Trent Aric, Fox4:
Like talking to family
Meteorologist Trent Aric said preparedness is a bit tricky for meteorologist as they have to gear up well in advance For Aric, part of that preparation is putting up hurricane shutters ahead of time, a bit difficult as he does not want to put neighbors into panic
“Once the season ramps up the last thing I want to be doing is run out,” and get supplies, Aric said
The meteorologist has been covering tropical weather in South Florida for 20 years Hurricane Ian was tough, as it was obviously a big storm
“It was one of those worst-case scenarios for Southwest Florida,” he said
To prepare for that possible realization, Aric began putting shutters up well in advance, a Saturday after his child’s birthday party
“The house was shuttered up and ready for Sunday morning knowing the storm was coming later that week We started our coverage over the weekend,” he said
“I have a love-hate relationship with tropical weather,” he said, adding that it’s a muscle you never want to flex, reporting on the punch Hurricane Ian was going to have on Southwest Florida “I have covered plenty of storms that have hit elsewhere Our time was up It was difficult knowing in advance ”
He knew those hours leading up to landfall, Southwest Florida was never going to be the same, look the same That people were going to lose everything and have stories to tell for years to come
With the coverage beginning on Sept 22 and 23, as the storm moved closer to Cuba
Continued on page 6B
“
I have a love-hate relationship with tropical weather. I have covered plenty of storms that have hit elsewhere. Our time was up. It was difficult knowing in advance.
Trent Aric Fox4 Meteorologist
and took a hard left, Aric said it was all hands on deck at the station, with them being on call 24 hours a day On that Sunday the extended coverage ramped up
“We were on all day nonstop even post storm with help from crews from across the country in Southwest Florida, before, during and the aftermath The benefits of having a strong corporate company,” he said
He remembers a moment when the new advisory came from the Hurricane Center, it being a game changer as the storm came up on Cuba, interacting with land and taking a tug to the right, moving closer to the coastline That moment Aric looked to his colleague and asked if she was ready for this
“Are you ready to tell people they are going to lose everything tomorrow,” he said You tear up and get emotional I talk to our viewers like I am talking to family with care and love ”
There’s a point when he had to get through the science and meteorology aspect and hold people’s hands through the coverage When the worse of the storm was hitting, shutters were banging, new cracking, creaking and howling sounds coming from everywhere Aric was trying to tell people that they are not alone, they were going to make it and get through it okay
A couple days after Hurricane Ian made landfall, Aric did not know what his house looked like as they stayed hunkered down in the studio, napping when they could while not on air
Although his home was in the eyewall for six hours, it did OK with the house still standing and the roof intact
What was interesting, on two sides of the house hurricane shutters were ripped off The wind was strong enough on the southeast corner of the house it ripped the panels off,” Aric said
Initially, the hurricane shutter company, the first time he called said to call back in 2024, as they were booked solid Since that initial conversation they called back and made an appointment
With such a horrific natural disaster behind us, Hurricane Ian exposed some
weaknesses, such as people’s understanding of storm surge and the need to evacuate
“You can say what storm surge is Talk about it There is going to be this swell of water People have a hard time visualizing that One thing that is beneficial going through a storm, we have pictures, video and real life experiences that people can see and relate to,” Aric said, adding that, heaven forbid, Southwest Florida ever has to go through another storm that produces that kind of storm surge again
He also hopes that residents do not compare one hurricane to another because they are all different, posing their own threats and risks
With hurricane season upon us once again, the question is “How do I prepare this year with so much damage still being fixed from Hurricane Ian?”
You have to look at your hurricane plan differently You have to worry about vulnerabilities,” Aric said
One of those vulnerabilities might be the safety of your once-stable home He said now individuals have to look at their house and say, “Will it keep my family safe? If the answer is no, they must evacuate to a friend, or family member ’s house
The key to evacuation is going tens of miles away from the storm surge and water, not hundreds of miles away A family or friend who is enough inland with a concrete block house would be safe, Aric said “I never want a storm to hit anywhere Be as prepared as possible and stay safe,” he said “I would like to see the death toll at zero A lot of lost life was preventable because they didn’t want to walk away from their home
For Chief Meteorologist John Patrick the biggest challenge of Hurricane Ian was the forecast track, as the initial models had trended the storm to the west, out into the Gulf of Mexico and heading towards Tampa
“I noticed on Saturday night before Ian
ABhit that our model started trending to bring the storm here to Southwest Florida With each run it would wobble a couple of miles north or south,” he said
One of the models showed Hurricane Ian going towards the Caloosahatchee and Imperial River, which would bring it to Southwest Florida, not Tampa
“After I saw three runs of our model do that, I was confident going on television Sunday night (to share that the hurricane) is likely going to come here I explained on television this model is not like the other ones,” Patrick said
Another factor that made him realize “this is going to be awful” was a forecast model that broke down how much water above ground would be seen
“ I t t a k e s i n s t o r m s u rg e o f 1 5 f e e t a n d f i g u re s i t i n e l e v a t i o n T h a t i s h o w m u c h w a t e r i s g o i n g t o b e o n t h e g ro u n d O b v i o u s l y w i t h t h e B e a c h t h e re i s n o e l ev a t i o n I t ’ s r i g h t a t s e a l e v e l , ” P a t r i c k s a i d T h e l a s t c a t e g o r y o n t h e l e g e n d w a s 9 f e e t p l u s , w h i c h w a s a p i n k i s h c o l o r We w e re g e t t i n g t h i s c o l o r o f p u r -
Continued on page 8B
COURTESY PHOTO
“
I have been here since 2005. It was nothing like I had ever seen forecast before Can this really happen? It was a crazy storm. The perfect spot for the worst storm surge for Lee County.”
~John Patrick
C7 Chief Meteorologist
Power crews line up to start restoring power to LCEC customers on Sanibel and Captiva in the days after Ian ravaged the islands
COURTESY OF LCEC
By Meghan Bradbury news@breezenewspapers comSo u t h w e s t F l o r i d a w a s
l i t e r a l l y l e f t p o w e r l e s s i n
t h e w a k e o f H u r r i c a n e I a n
A restoration army helped get LCEC customers back online, some in a matter of days, most in a matter of weeks, others still in the process of repair to receive power
“It was a team effort across the state I have never seen anything like it There was a common goal and way to help each other out to bring a community back together to restore service,” said Allan Ruth, LCEC director of Business Continuity and Ian Incident commander
He said each storm is different, with Hurricane Ian being big, slow and producing a great amount of storm surge
About 25 percent of their employees were directly impacted by the storm
“They didn’t miss a beat They came in and worked Many of these people worked 16 hours a day without a day off for some months They had heart and soul in it To see the effort and pride go into it is pretty remarkable,” he said, adding that
employees impacted by significant damages were in the hundreds “To see our employees’ dedication to our members in the community is really remarkable There is a very good sense of pride across the organization ”
Another proud accomplishment is that
p l e , n o t o n t h e l e g e n d ”
The model showed 3 feet increments as far as the amount of inundation With purple, it was 12 feet or higher showing right over Fort Myers Beach past Estero Bay with storm surge possible to US 41
“I have been here since 2005 It was nothing like I had ever seen forecast before Can this really happen? U S 41 is pretty far away from the Beach,” he said, adding that he had never seen boats on U S 41 before “It was a crazy storm The perfect spot for the worst storm surge for Lee County ”
Now almost a year later, looking back at Sept 28, the days leading up to the hurricane, as well as after is a blur
“I had not been on the air while the storm was going through until Irma,” Patrick said of becoming a chief meteorologist in 2012 “Irma was the first hurricane that came through the viewing area when I moved from morning to night
That was a lot of pressure ”
He has a home in Lehigh Acres His
neighborhood was in the eye of Hurricane Irma for 57 minutes with constant rain and wind when the storm made landfall in Lee County on Sept 10, 2017
Hurricane Ian was a beast of a storm that did not affect Lehigh Acres much with only power flickering, rather than going out Patrick believes with the rebuilding of power poles after Irma, when Hurricane Ian hit five years later, they held their own
“This time around the inland areas that got it hard from Irma, got spared the worst from Ian,” he said
With Hurricane Ian, Patrick said he tried to numb himself while doing broadcasts
“I try not to think about the outside world,” he said, something he learned from Hurricane Irma
Patrick said while on air, in the back of his head, he was thinking about friends, who had just had their son, as the eyewall went over their house “I would get choked up on air Are they
they did not suffer a single loss-time accident through the entire restoration effort among either LCEC employees or those who answered the call for aid
"Unfortunately, in these events where you bring in those many resources there are some injured, seriously injured and sometimes fatalities That is an indication of how far we have come and it speaks volumes of the industry of how much it takes safety into consideration and training and efforts," Ruth said "I hope it is a precedent to be sustained forever more into the future
Most of the injuries are caused by, of all things, vegetation Bent trees are under a lot of stress, he said, adding when a chain saw is used to cut it, it tends to spring and can cause lots of injuries
"The contractors that came in and everybody that contributed, the restoration team ensured everyone that came went home in the same condition," Ruth said
Preparing for Hur ric ane Ian
LCEC uses an emergency restoration
ContInued on page 9B
from page
When Ian came through I was mentally prepared Look at the towns as places on the map, not places you have friends Street names as places you drive your car, not places where your friends are,” he said “After the fact when I saw what had happened, then we were all like ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this even happened
OK? Is the baby OK?
As with every storm, lessons are learned After Ian, Patrick believes more people will evacuate
“Here, we need more time to evacuate than anywhere else in the state because our arteries out are limited,” he said
Evolving technology will also play a hand in this year ’s hurricane season Patrick said at the beginning of May new satellites were launched into space to scan tropical systems, which will provide a complete scan every hour He said that will provide six times the amount of data to be put into forecast models
To see our employees’ dedication to our members in the community is really remarkable There is a very good sense of pride across the organization.”
Allen Ruth LCEC director of Business Continuity and Ian incident commander
plan that was put into place in 2005 after Hurricane Charley Since then, official document lessons learned and best practices continue to be incorporated
The plan was executed 2017 when Hurricane Irma hit Southwest Florida Ruth said, adding it worked well
“We took the lessons learned from Irma and added some improvements to the plan,” he said
When Hurricane Ian came on the radar, LCEC began preparing a week out with the Emergency Restoration Committee and started tracking the storm
“We have a lot of faith in the National Hurricane Center ’s ability to be able to predict the storms It’s amazing how accurate they are when they talk about where the storm is going to hit and the intensity of the storm,” Ruth said
Ian was his fifth major storm He started with Hurricane Andrew in 1992
Two days before Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida it was predicted to be a Category 2 storm to hit the Tampa Bay area
The storms that come off the western tip of Cuba tend to hook in," he said, adding that there was concern about the direction "We planned for Category 4 "
From there they deciphered how many resources they would need to manage this type of event
We had about 300 personnel that we brought in from out of town and staged prior to the storm That was 50 percent of the amount that we had at the peak of Hurricane Irma We were really well prepared with the resources we brought in We felt good about the direction we were going, Ruth said
Then Hurricane Ian took a right hand turn and became a huge, slow storm
— from page 8B
“One thing that caught everyone by surprise was the storm surge and impacts of what that was,” Ruth said “Ian, it was 24 hours that it sat on top of us The damage was pretty extreme on Sanibel Island Pine Island They had the winds close to Category 5 ” Hard hit LECE service are a s
For LCEC, the most extreme damage was to Matlacha, St James City, west Cape Coral, south Cape Coral and Sanibel Island
The Burnt Store corridor and the Surfside area was heavily impacted
Every pole was on the ground on Surfside
St James City was devastated
“St James City had about 6 to 7 feet of water come across it Our substation sits on the east side of Stringfellow Road,” he said, about 2-1/2 miles (The substation had) 2-1/2 to 3 feet of water ”
The battery house, which is housed in a secure area, had a lot of salt spray and rain, resulting in equipment having to be replaced before the substation was reenergized
"From the center south were the most challenging areas We had Pine Island essentially restored Oct 16," Ruth said, with 95 percent back on power 18 days after the storm
For Sanibel, Captiva and Upper Captiva, power was brought back on line in various stages during restoration, which were communicated with the public Ruth said they were working six zones We actually had everybody essentially restored on Sanibel on Oct 28 It was 29 days after the storm hit," he said
Of 9,000 customers on Sanibel Island, approximately 2,000 customers, at the
beginning of August, were still unable to take service because they had damage on their end and needed to rebuild their electrical There were about 4,500 at the end of 2022, that had not taken service because they had so much damage
"They have made progress Our hearts go out to the residents of Sanibel," Ruth said
LCEC Public Relations Director Karen Ryan said while most people are past the restoration stage, LCEC is still, in some respects, in restoration mode
"We are still going back and making sure we can reconnect those people when they are ready, she said
In some places, LCEC saw 14 feet of water on Sanibel, which impacted the LCEC substation with 9 feet of water, and Pine Island s substation with 3 feet of water
"We recognized early on that the plan we had in place, we were going to have to be pretty agile and bring in additional resources, " Ruth said
The maximum number hit 2,300 resources, with the total number of people needing to be managed around 3,000 LCEC brought in and used contractors that are typically out of the norm For instance, they ran out of qualified truck drivers who had a CDL to operate a semi
a few days we had hundreds of people coming in, Ruth said with 100 here and
there rapidly building
Sa n i b e l a n d C a p t i v a a r e k n o w n a r o u n d t h e w o r l d f o r t h e i r p r i s t i n e b e a c h e s a n d t o p - n o t c h s h e l l i n g o p p o r t u n i t i e s , b u t a n o t h e r b i g d r a w f o r v i s i t o r s a n d l o c a l s o f a l l a g e s i s t h e i r u n i q u e a t t r a c t i o n s
One year after Hurricane Ian left behind a path of destruction across Southwest Florida more specifically, Lee County and its barrier islands those favorite places to visit are in various stages of recovery Some have been restored; others still have work to do But rebuilding is the goal for all
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum sustained 5 feet of flooding and a 20-foot roof hole, leading to major water and structural damage throughout the building, including the aquariums and The Great Hall of Shells Rebuilding is progressing steadily with new floors, walls and ceilings in place throughout much of the damaged areas
The aquarium systems have been replaced and reinstalled, and preparations are under way to welcome marine life this fall The museum ' s reopening will be phased with the aquariums opening by the end of this year, with The Great Hall and special exhibition galleries set for the first part of 2024
For more information, visit www shellmuseum org or call 239-3952233
The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is at 3075 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel
BIG ART S
BIG ARTS was one of the few intact
structures in good condition after the hurricane It recently announced a full season for 2023-24 Programming will include performing arts, including the BIG ARTS Concert Band and BIG ARTS Community Chorus, community events, free fun gatherings, workshops including The Master Workshop Series, and more Its two lectures services, FORUM and Talking Points, will return BIG ARTS will also offer its film series, along with fine arts exhibitions The BIG ARTS Gift Shop is open to browse and shop For more information, visit bigarts org or call 239-3950900 BIG ARTS is at 900 Dunlop Road, Sanibel
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife's hospital is back and continues to operate 365 days a year Its Visitor Education Center and gift shop have reopened, and programs have restarted CROW offers presentations and guided campus tours every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday starting at 11 a m Although some things have returned to a new normal, it is still in the process of rebuilding many of its outdoor enclosures that were destroyed or badly damaged during the hurricane
The enclosures provide the last step of the rehabilitation process for many patients, and CROW has begun to rebuild them to withstand future storms For more information, visit www crowclinic org or call 239-472-3644 CROW is at 3883 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel
After six months of cleanup, the J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge opened its Visitor & Education Center, Wildlife Drive, Bailey Tract and some
trails in April Free seasonal programming has resumed and the inaugural Art in the Wild will take place on Oct 21-22 Work remains clearing trails, rebuilding boardwalks, restoring wildlife habitat and bringing the HVAC back to par
The “Ding” Darling Wildlife SocietyFriends of the Refuge s offices and intern housing were destroyed and will require rebuilding The refuge’s Red Mangrove Overlook, Calusa Shell Mound Trail and parts of the Indigo Trail remain closed For more information, visit www fws gov/refuge/jn ding darling or call 239-472-1100 The J N “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is at 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel S anibel-C
aptivaThe Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation s Native Landscapes & Garden Center is on a record-breaking roll in selling native plants to islanders and businesses who are restoring their landscapes Its “Post-Hurricane Ian Replanting Guide” identified more than 50 species of plants that survived the storm, proving the value in landscaping in ways that promote resilience, as well as habitat for wildlife The center is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a m to 3 p m Visitors are welcome to peruse the sprawling grounds and take a walk on the meandering Shipley Trail SCCF s Periwinkle Preserve trail is the only other trail that is currently open
For more information, visit www sccf org or call 239-472-2329 The center is at 1300 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel
ContinuEd on pagE 11B
Gov DeSantis and his staff, they were remarkable with things that opened up to us that we never had available before,"
Ruth said
Duke Energy began with 300 personnel and quickly doubled, deploying in west Cape Coral, Burnt Store area There were also employees on Pine Island working with leadership as they were staged on the island
In addition, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Governor s Office were essential in the restoration efforts Ruth said with assistance, they were able to shuffle 10 to 15 trucks at a time out to Sanibel They had 300 trucks on Sanibel with a couple hundred personnel
"We had a one-time trip," to move all the equipment and materials needed , Ruth said "We only had to shuffle personnel, which made the efforts much easier "
LCEC replaced 3,042 poles following Hurricane Ian, which is about 1 8 percent of the total population of poles In addition, they replaced about 1,940 transformers, about 30,000 insulators were changed and 60,000 splicers replaced
During Hurricane Irma we changed 1,000 poles and 750 transformers," Ruth said "Everything was three times the impact of what we had changed out from the previous storm
Although the final numbers are still to be tallied, he said they are somewhere north of $180 million of the direct costs from Hurricane Ian Those costs are FEMA reimbursable and they are currently submitting the claims
The state of Florida has done a remarkable job to streamline those processes and help get those reimbursements," Ruth said
LCEC also has long-term plans to replace the underground infrastructure along Sanibel and Pine Island as a result of storm surge
"It is corroding and has to be replaced There are a lot of work activities that are still going to have to take place over the next few years to make sure it is replaced before it fails," Ruth said Lessons le arned
In the past, LCEC has always housed personnel who came to help after the s t o r m i n h o t e l s
U n f o r t u n a t e l y w i t h H u r r i c a n e I a n , t h e h o t e l s t h e y u s u a l l y u s e d w e re r a p i d l y l o s t a s a re s u l t o f d a m a g e Wi t h c o m p e t it i o n f ro m o t h e r a g e n c i e s a l s o l o o k i n g f o r h o t e l s , i t w a s h a rd t o f i n d p l a c e s t o h o u s e t h o s e p ro v i d i n g a s s i s t a n c e R u t h s a i d t h e y u s e d t h e b a s e c a m p p h il o s o p h y, a s F P L s e c u re d o n e a n d t u r n e d i t o v e r t o L C E C A n o t h e r b a s e c a m p w a s s e t u p o n S a n i b e l I s l a n d " We h a v e c o m p l e t e l y t r a n s i t i o n e d t o a b a s e c a m p c o n c e p t I t h o u s e s t h e m , f e e d s t h e m a n d l a u n d r i e s t h e m We h a v e t o h a v e a p i e c e o f p ro p e r t y b i g e n o u g h t o s e t t h i n g s u p , " h e s a i d , a s t h e c a m p s c a n h o u s e a n y w h e re f ro m 5 0 0 t o 1 , 0 0 0 p e rs o n n e l B a s e c a m p s c o n s i s t o f b i g t r a i l e r s t h a t a re c o m p r i s e d o f p o d s w i t h s l e e p i n g q u a r t e r s , s h o w e r s a n d a n a re a t o c o o k m e a l s " T h e re a re 5 0 0 t o 1 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e a l l s t a yi n g i n t h e s e t r a i l e r s i n o n e l o c a t i o n , " Ry a n s a i d , a d d i n g t h a t t h e y a l l e a t b re a kf a s t t o g e t h e r b e f o re g o i n g o u t f o r t h e d a y, a n d t h e n re t u r n t o h a v e d i n n e r, s h o w e r a n d s l e e p
When the Sanibel Historical Museum and Village closed in June, earlier than the normal seasonal closure, it was to get a head start on its hurricane repairs before
reopening for season in mid-October
Restoration work was scheduled to take place on Miss Charlotta s Tea Room, the Burnap Cottage, Rutland House, post office and schoolhouse Prior to the closure, four of its buildings the old Bailey General Store, Morning Glories, Shore Haven and
the Caretakers’ Cottage had been reopened post-storm For more information, visit sanibelmuseum org or call 239472-4648 The Sanibel Historical Museum and Village is at 950 Dunlop Road, Sanibel
Continued on page 12B
Co-founder Aaron Barreda, explained that when the organization was founded, he was the Commander of the Pine Island American Legion, which, after Ian, became a major supply point for the south end of the island For well over 80 days, the American Legion had been providing free meals to anyone on the island as a
hurricane relief effort, he said
“I realized I was not able to get access to the county, state and federal government resources even though we were a non-profit, we weren’t getting the right access,” Barreda said
He was introduced to the Brace Organization through one of the volunteer groups that came down to assist in hurricane relief Barreda was told that the only way to get access to the help he was looking for would be to set up a long-term recovery group Barreda, along with GPIA co-founder, Island Tactical owner, Jay Sanderson, organized a group of volunteer organizations, which included churches, non-profits and anyone who
wanted to help, he said
“From those groups of volunteers, we realized we needed to formalize,” Barreda said
With the help of Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane, as well as the State Attorney General, he said, they were able to do just that in December 2022 With the help of Sen Marco Rubio’s office, the GPIA received their official federal non-profit status on Jan 16, 2023 In February, the GPIA was recognized by Volunteer Florida as one of 13 long-term recovery groups in the state
“The first lady of Florida gave us
Continued on page 13B
With its flagship campus scheduled to reopen this fall, the Sanibel Sea School has been actively engaging youths and famil i e s a l i k e w i t h i t s i m m e r s i v e a n d f u n w a y s o f i n s t i l l i n g o c e a n l o v e M o re t h a n 5 0 0 i n d i v i d u a l s a t t e n d e d s u m m e r c a m p b a s e d o u t o f t h e S C C F ’ s B a i l e y H o m e s t e a d P re s e r v e T h i s f a l l , a r a n g e o f p ro g r a m s t h a t c a t e r t o d i ff e re n t a g e g ro u p s a n d i n t e re s t s a re a v a i l a b l e A f t e r- s c h o o l p ro g r a m s a re a v a i l a b l e o n We d n e s d a y a f t e r n o o n s a n d a re o p e n t o re s i d e n t s a n d v i s i t o r s a l i k e B e a c h w a l k s i n p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h t h e I s l a n d I n n a re o ff e re d o n We d n e s d a y s a t 9 a m a n d e n r i c h i n g f a m i l y, c o r p o r a t e a n d g ro u p p ro g r a m s a re a v a i l a b l e a n y t i m e F o r m o re i n f o r m at i o n , v i s i t w w w s a n i b e l s e a s c h o o l o rg o r
T h e f l a g s h i p c a m p u s i s a t 4 5 5
P e r i w i n k l e Wa y, S a n i b e l Tar pon Bay Explorers
Tarpon Bay Explorers opened in February after 6 feet of standing water flooded the facility The hurricane totaled its pontoon and bike fleet, 49-passenger tour boat and Aquarium Touch Tanks TBE offers kayak, paddleboard and Hobie fishing kayak rentals, kayak and tram tours, and a nature-themed gift shop Guided Kayak Tours are on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a m and Tram Tours are on Thursdays at 10 a m and 1 p m ; reservations are recommended for both TBE is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8 a m to 5 p m ; rentals stop at 3 p m Its gift shop is open on the same days
For more information, visit www tarponbayexplorers com or call 239-
More than 500 individuals attended the Sanibel Sea School’s summer camp programs SANIBEL SEA SCHOOL
472-8900 TBE is at 900 Tarpon Bay Road, Sanibel
The Communit y House
The Sanibel Community Association’s The Community House is hosting Kiwanis, Rotary and the Original Shell Crafters in the lobby, which has plenty of space for meetings The front of the facility is functioning with office, bathrooms, the lobby and Islanders conference room Within the next month, the kitchen equipment for the commercial kitchen will be in and the Great Hall and Community Room will have the audio/visual, with lighting finalized The Founders Room, which is the historical part of the building, will be tiled, drywalled and looking close to finish by Oct 1 Stop in Sept 30 from 2 to 5 p m to sightsee For more information, visit sanibelcommunityhouse net or call 239472-2155 The Community House is at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel
$100,000 through Volunteer Florida to get the program going,” Barreda said, referring to Casey DeSantis, wife of Gov Ron DeSantis
“We went from just an idea in October, November, to by December having our Florida Tax ID and by January, we had our federal non-profit status,” Barreda said
While the organization was still in its infancy, due to her expertise in team building, lifelong Pine Islander Erin LollarLambert was asked by the founding partners to come on board as the executive director
Due to no centralized government on the island, Lambert said in the midst of the chaos caused by Hurricane Ian, Sanderson and Barreda
from page 12B
immediately saw the need for a chief organization to take the situation in hand and prevent islanders from duplicating their efforts
“Things were so disorganized that needs were not being met in the areas that they were needed Having a central hub of data and resources to prevent the duplication of efforts was their main intent, so help was getting where help was needed,” Lambert said
The GPIA continues to strive in its commitment toward long-term recovery on Pine Island
To date, 52 temporary storage containers have been delivered to residents and countless roofs have been tarped, Lambert said In com-
bination with the partnership of the Rebuild Together organization, many homes have been re-roofed, free of charge
“Helping people get back
into their homes, is our No 1 priority,” Lambert said
For more about the Greater Pine Island Alliance, visit gpialliance org
com
Wh i l e s u n n y S o u t h w e s t
F l o r i d a i s a h o t - s p o t d e s t i n a t i o n f o r t h o s e l o o k i n g f o r w h i t e s a n d b e a c h e s a n d w a t e r f r o n t v i e w s , H u r r i c a n e I a n s h i f t e d t h e s e n s e o f n o r m a l c y f o r m a n y a c r o s s t h e r e g i o n O n e y e a r l a t e r, t h i n g s a r e s t a r t i n g t o l o o k u p
Many of the most popular areas that feature pristine coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico suffered heavy damage from the near-Category 5 storm that hit Lee County on Sept 28, 2022
Businesses have been working to get back on their feet, and assistance has come in from all around the country and beyond Unfortunately, some were not able to rebound and have closed for good
Amidst the turmoil, there is a great sense of resiliency in the community, and numerous businesses and local favorites have either already reopened their doors or have plans to build back better in the coming years
Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau Chair and Lee County Commissioner Brian Hamman said during these past summer months, branding and messaging had kicked into full gear This is especially important as the area contin-
ues to recover from Ian
“In years past, we never had to really market to bring people down here during the winter, they kind of just naturally do it,” Hamman said “So we always have focused our marketing efforts on getting people to visit here during the summer and ‘slower ’ months ”
Social media messaging is always at the forefront, as Hamman said live webcams broadcasting sunny spots in Southwest Florida are in the works
The Breeze Newspapers, which worked through numerous challenges to keep readers up-to-date throughout the storm and aftermath, have put together a commemorative book documenting and storytelling through the eyes of those who lived it
The 128-page book features stories, firstperson accounts and more than 100 photographs
Photos were crowd-sourced, which truly makes this a community project
“Although this is a book we hoped we’d never have to publish, we’re incredibly proud of how it’s turned out, providing a fitting record of those terrible days and weeks in picture and word, but maintaining the spirit of resilience that we’ve all witnessed as our communities have begun to move forward again,” Breeze Newspapers Publisher Ray Eckenrode said
The book’s title is simply “Ian ”
“We thought about trying to be creative or clever with the title, but it didn’t take long to realize the power that one word now holds in Southwest Florida,” Eckenrode said
As Breeze Newspapers Photo Editor Michael Pistella wrote in the book: “Hurricane Ian brought wind, rain, and ultimately destruction to Southwest Florida Ian also took everything from some homes, possessions, places of work, and even loved ones But what Ian didn’t take from the people of Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island, Sanibel, Captiva, and Cape Coral was their spirit ”
Pistella put together the book, combing through hundreds of staff and contributed photos and recounting personal stories of local residents gathered by Breeze
Newspapers reporters and editors
“At first it was difficult to go through all the photographs and read the stories,” Pistella said I started my career on Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel, so both islands mean a great deal to me and seeing the destruction made me really sad But as I went on, everyone’s strength and resilience really came through to me I tried to tell that story with the photos I chose and the way I presented them I put the book together with love, and I hope our readers sense that ”
The book is available for pre-order at capecoralbreeze com by clicking on the “store” link at the upper right of the home
page The book also is in the “stores” of the websites for Breeze publications on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel/Captiva, Pine Island and North Fort Myers
The book is $30 for in-person orders, and $36 for mailed copies
The hardcover book is expected back from the printer by the end of September, and mail orders will go out right away The Breeze will announce when in-person orders are available for pickup at its office at 2510 Del Prado Blvd
The book was made possible with the help of four community sponsors: LCEC, Schiff Realty, Edwin Pickett Allstate and Travis Jewelers
“To see how beautiful it is, and it is rebuilding, and that progress has been made on recovery efforts,” Hamman said
One of the largest events each year, the Island Hopper Songwriter Festival, is a main focus once again, taking place from Sept 22 to Oct 1 at 18 venues throughout Southwest Florida including Fort Myers Beach, Captiva, Cape Coral, and Fort Myers
“That’s pretty cool when you can not only create destination marketing, but a destination event in itself to get people here,” Hamman said
While many beachfront hotels on barrier islands have yet to open back up for business, the beach itself and businesses in the area have
“The beach is open and ready for business,” Hamman said “There are a lot of businesses out there on the beaches that are trying to make a go of it They’ve come up with a lot of creative ways to serve their customers, and certainly would love to see local folks drive over there and support them ”
In the VCB’s most recent report looking at tourism data, from October to December of 2022, right after the storm, visitors were down more than 50%, with visitor expenditures down more than 30%
Looking at data from April through June of 2023, visitors were down more than 50%, with visitor expenditures down more than 40%
County officials said as of Aug 2, there are more than 10,000 total rooms available for visitors, which is 70% of what the county had to offer prior to Hurricane Ian
County officials said it is difficult to make projections on what next season will look like, as recovery will be driven by the reopening of hotel rooms and vacation rentals
"We do anticipate that several properties will either be opening (Margaritaville) or fully reopening (Diamondhead and Pink Shell) at the end of this year, and there are properties that will likely open in early 2024 (it is too soon to name any properties yet)," county officials stated
The VCB’s current campaign is "My Fort Myers " Officials say the campaign is designed to tap into the emotional attachment and fondness people have for our destination and, by doing so, reignite their passion and commitment to visiting " It is centered on personal testimonials from visitors and residents who can speak firsthand about the human connections and great memories they have made here
Hamman said he has full faith that those businesses that have already reopened, and those that are building a new, will be back to full strength in no time
“You’re seeing tremendous efforts,” Hamman said “Diamondhead appears to be completely open and ready to go on Fort Myers Beach The Pink Shell just celebrated the reopening of its swimming pool The beach out in front of Pink Shell is just beautiful right now Many of them are working to open and serve customers as quickly as possible Some of them will need to be completely rebuilt, and those I think are going through the process and figuring out what they’ll be
“I think those properties can be rebuilt in a very attractive manner that will actually enhance our destination for the future We could have the freshest, newest sand in the state of Florida since it’ll all be renourished, and we’ll have the newest, freshest hotel rooms and resorts in the state of Florida as well And at that point, with the right marketing, we could really make that an attractive destination that the world will want to come visit ”
Hamman said a bright spot since the early aftermath of Ian is that beaches are now clean He himself went down to Fort Myers beach to get a first-hand look at one of the area’s most popular destinations
“I really enjoyed my time out there with my kids,” Hamman said “If you’re looking to go back out to Fort Myers Beach or even the beaches that are open on Sanibel and make some happy memories, now is the time to do it And while you’re there, you’ll get a chance to support some of the businesses that are open ”
Hamman said now, more than ever, is when local residents should be supporting local business
“The beach businesses are actually counting on us locals right now,” Hamman said “Typically, those hotels would be full of guests that would just walk downstairs and use their businesses Well, many of the hotels are not open on the beaches yet With that being the case, they’re counting on folks like us who are a short drive away to come out there and make a nice day trip to the beach and be a customer and support them ”
It’snot exactly business as usual on Fort Myers Beach one year after Hurricane Ian but with the number of the businesses reopening, the rebuilding, real estate deals and development proposals, there is no shortage of business people betting on the future of the island
For Fort Myers Beach business owners like Peter Ennis, who operates Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant and Wahoo Willies, “the biggest obstacle in my mind is letting Lee, Collier and Charlotte County know that Fort Myers Beach is open for business ”
Ennis and his partners were among the most aggressive on the island in getting their restaurants open after Ian Wahoo Willies, which was in the midst of being constructed when Hurricane Ian struck, opened six weeks after the storm
The feat was impressive considering that just weeks earlier the debris at their corner of Old San Carlos Boulevard was stacked almost as high and far as the eye could see
“The debris was high, halfway through our building all the way to the water, Ennis said “So many people contributed to helping "
Snug Harbor opened in January
“There are many condos and homeowners that are doing everything they can to get back to their homes , but things are just taking much longer to get residents back to their homes Hopefully hotels will be coming soon as well," he added
While the highly anticipated Margaritaville resort is eyeing a December opening, one of the first hotels to open after Ian was the Pink Shell Beach Resort
For Pink Shell Beach Resort owner Robert Boykin, acting quickly meant everything in saving the hotel from flood damage
“In the first 48 hours, we had restoration crews on site moving heaven and earth,” Boykin said “The roof got damaged in all of the buildings and severely damaged on the main building ”
In the week after Ian, during which the island was closed off for re-entry, Boykin said the hotel incurred more damage when it began raining again
“Those early days are critical If you don’t get your place cleaned up in 72 hours mold develops ”
Boykin remains discontented with the decision to close beach access to residents in the days after hurricane – a call that town, county, state, rescue teams and fire officials all blamed on each
“You can’t make a rule like that in a vacuum,” he said
Despite the delays, the Pink Shell Beach Resort has been a marvel of a success, opening up half of its 200 rooms when many buildings are still inoperable The resort housed critical emergency crews and other responders in the early days after Ian
Boykin said there were lessons learned from the storm about barriers to protect elevators from flooding and to protect pool equipment They learned to be more assertive in protecting items from being thrown out by cleaning crews At the peak of repairs, Boykin said upwards of 400 people were working on site
Boykin said it‘s important the town handle permits promptly “Speed is important,” he said Boykin has proposed a new development to the town
a 109room hotel or condo building with a public parking garage across from the Pink
While insurance is a sore spot on the island, Boykin said he collected about 60% so far from Lloyds of London though he said the costs will be going up substantially It’s the “single most important topic for commercial property owners,” he said “Be careful with who you buy insurance from ” He believes the state should get more involved in regulating and backing up the insurance market
His advice is to have a plan for a hurricane
“If you don’t have a plan until after the hurricane, you are late to the game,” he said Sunny days are ahead though I can t say when ”
For Erickson and Jensen owner Grant Erickson, who runs one of the oldest shrimping operations on Fort Myers Beach dating back to the 1950s, nothing could prepare him for having nearly his entire fleet washed ashore and his docks ruined by Ian
The good news is that his docks are about 80% fixed and most of the shrimp boats are back in the water or being repaired Three of the 11 boats were destroyed by Ian The insurance was unaffordable
“What it would cost me to cover my insurance, I could lose a boat a year and come out better,” he said
With some customers not back in business yet, the price of shrimp down and price of fuel for his boats up, it’s been hard to make a living While the domestic wildcaught pink shrimp is preferred by island visitors, outside of town he is competing with cheaper foreign, farm-raised shrimp
“The shrimp business is terrible The price is the lowest it’s been in years,” Erickson said “You can’t make any business in the shrimp business right now ”
Shrimp fishermen who used to work for him are taking jobs in construction, Erickson said
Erickson sells shrimp of any size and amount to those who want it at his market on Main Street in San Carlos Island Monday through Saturday “Everybody should be eating shrimp right now,” he said “Pink shrimp is the best shrimp in the world ”
Erickson is optimistic about Fort Myers Beach He took his boats for their annual pilgrimage to Texas in 2017 and went through Hurricane Harvey - one of the
costliest hurricanes in American history
“They have built back It looks terrific now It took them five, six years to recover It will be better (here) eventually ”
Over the summer, the Lani Kai Island Resort reopened its beach with furniture available for rent, watercraft recreational vehicle rentals and one of its bars Work continues on repairs to the hotel from Hurricane Ian
“Our rebuild is coming along nicely, it’s slow but thankfully steady, and our family has been working so hard to juggle so many projects so we can open what we can, when we can, as soon as we can,” Lani Kai Island Resort Marketing Director Melissa Schneider said “Our most recent completion was getting the impact doors and windows installed along our ground-level shops and storefronts
Beach Bar 1, known as "Mr C's Bar,” has opened That was the first bar Lani Kai Island Resort owner Bob Conidaris opened back in 1978
“We’re coming full circle from the time he first built this legendary beachside icon 45 years ago, Schneider said We all continue to push through this devastation to try to return the island to some sort of normalcy,” Schneider said
At Salty Sam’s Marina, marketing director Ryan VanDenabeele said the marina has recovered from damage to its docks
The last piece of the puzzle is the docks We’re hoping to have the docks in the fall,” VanDenabeele said The marina’s Parrot Key Caribbean Grill reopened at its Main St location with a new Sunday breakfast menu
The owners are contemplating plans for the Original Shrimp Dock Bar and Grill
“We are trying to improve on what it once was,” VanDenabeele said The marina’s pirate cruise underwent maintenance in August and is expected to return in the fall
The marina resumed its daily dolphin tours, sunset cruises and boat rentals
“All the cleanup crews have done a fantastic job with clearing out the channels and the mangroves,” he said
Bonita Bill’s
Bonita Bill’s
took all the shots Hurricane Ian had to give and is still standing despite two boats crashing into its docks that still are lodged there
Founder Bill Semmer, who ran the business for more than 30 years, died in January from Melanoma Now run by Semmer ’s daughter Katie Reynolds, the welcoming and laid-back atmosphere still persists with the same affordable breakfast, lunch and dinner menu Business has been up and down, mirroring changes on the island
It s been such a rollercoaster, Reynolds said
Since reopening in March, Reynolds said “We had a good first three weeks We caught part of the season Thank goodness we opened We needed those three weeks It’s been slow in the summer due to the heat and the construction
The survival of Bonita Bill’s is a testament to its construction by Semmer in the early 1990s Most of the bar and café are still fully intact though the tiki bar needs work In an interview before he died, Semmer said “there was no floor, nothing” when he purchased what was then known as Bonita Fish Company and Fish House Workers have been sprucing up and updating the event room to allow for multiple media and technology uses for meetings and parties
“We might rent it out for a yoga studio,”
Reynolds said
She has also been working with the state to try and get the boats removed off her property Bonita Bill’s leases its docks from the state though a submerged land lease
“We’re hoping for a good comeback in October, fingers crossed,” she said “We’re keeping our hopes high ”
One of the longest-running restaurants on Fort Myers Beach, Dixie Fish Co , reopened in February off Fisherman s
Wharf to jubilant acclaim The restaurant, which dates back to the 1930s suffered minimal damage from Hurricane Ian compared to its neighbor Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille, which reopened in July
Both restaurants have deep followings
They also share common ownership in the Harrity family
Ownership partner Joe Harrity said Doc Ford's underwent the most work, including the replacement of the bartops on the first and second floor, new tables, a new tiki hut, a new deck, chairs and a new roof
The owners of the property, who operate Gulf Star Marina next door, replaced the first floor deck as well as the docks
“The downstairs was completely wiped out,” Harrity said “We tried to save everything we could
The restaurant’s popular waterfront view has been accentuated with new sliding doors upstairs overlooking the bay
“It was a big cost to us,” Harrity said Harrity said insurance didn’t cover anything The restaurant lost out on months of business
Harrity said some of their staff were working at their sister location in Sanibel About 75% of the Fort Myers beach staff returned to their jobs
A good portion of the kitchen crew were able to stay busy at the restaurant helping to rebuild the facility
Harrity said he thinks Fort Myers Beach is “progressing pretty well Margaritaville is coming along There have been a couple big land purchases ”
Honored with multiple Fort Myers Beach Observer Best of the Beach awards over the years, the restaurant won “Best Everyday Eats” in the 2021 Tripadvisor Best of the Best Awards
List of projects the Town of Fort Myers Beach has forwarded to Lee County for inclusion in its Project Resiliency Task Force’s request to the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development for more funding:
■ Conduct a parking study to inform future plans supporting economic development
■ Re-design and redevelop the Time Square area
■ Fort Myers Beach debris removal project for island canals
■ Beach renourishment program
■ Purchase damaged beachfront properties to convert to green space
■ Establish a regional multi-use trail network
■ Acquire and/or construct upland facility for mooring field
■ Repair damage to the mooring field cause by Hurricane Ian
■ Interim Town Hall
■ Acquire and convert underutilized office building for an interim town hall
■ Replace Town Hall
■ Repair of pumping stations and support buildings damaged
■ Storm water improvements for streets
■ Research on integrated stormwater management improvements
■ Repairs to street lighting to conform with mandated turtle lighting ordinances
■ Road repairs and signage
■ Hardened communication tower for emergency response
■ Work Force Housing development at 6000 Estero Blvd
■ Acquire and convert space in underutilized office building for workforce housing
■ Workforce Housing on town-owned land with reconstruction of Town Hall
■ Develop workforce housing in downtown Fort Myers Beach
■ Acquire land and develop workforce Housing on San Carlos Island
■ Purchase land and build affordable/workforce housing near barrier islands
■ Acquire land and build workforce housing near town hall
■ Leverage Hazard Mitigation Grant to provide funds for building more resilient homes
■ Reconstruction of Times Square
■ Repair of public pools
■ Revival of Newton Park
■ Complete an assessment of parks throughout Lee County
■ Public bathroom facilities
SOURCES: LEE COUNTY, RESILIENT LEE TOWN OF FORT MYERS BEACH
Storefronts were wiped out, windows broken, roofs torn, water damage about It was a nightmare for owners Those that have been fortunate enough to reopen are thankful to still be standing Some, unfortunately, have had to close for good
"Businesses all over Cape Coral suffered impacts from Hurricane Ian from Cape Coral Parkway to Pine Island Road and beyond," said Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral President/CEO Donna Germain
"I cannot think of one that was not affected by Ian in some way whether it be electricity, connectivity or physical damage to their property "
Now one-year removed from the devastating storm, Cape and Southwest Florida businesses - those that survived - have made great strides to return to normalcy
"We saw our businesses throughout Cape Coral open back up fairly quickly, some were back up within a week and some took a little longer depending on when their electric and internet were back up, Germain said Unfortunately, some made the difficult decision not to reopen "
Germain said the Chamber started reaching out to businesses immediately following the storm to collect status reports thought their Businesses Emergency Coordination Center dashboard
Germain said based on the response the Chamber received, they estimate that 98%
of businesses already have, or will fully recover from the storm
The dashboard was created through a partnership between the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral and the Emergency Operations Center to have a centralized location to gather and distribute business information during an emergency activation
As for how the aftermath of the storm felt, Germain said: "Devastating is the first word that comes to mind, but also hopeful as we watched our entire community come together to start the recovery process We worked with our Emergency Operations Center around the clock prior to and after the storm to get information out in any way possible to not only our members, but to the entire community We visited businesses throughout the city to assess their damage We made phone calls, sent emails, texts, Facebook messages and used communication tool available to get in contact with our businesses to see what their needs were "
Germain said the Chamber worked with recovery agencies like FEMA and SBA to get information to businesses regarding emergency funding They worked with local organizations such as Kiwanis to set up a Business Recovery Center location for SBA so businesses would have a place to go and get assistance with their applications for funding and see what other resources were out there
"We met with SBA as well as state and federal officials on their behalf to streamline the process for funding and advocate on behalf of our businesses that were struggling to get answers That battle is still ongoing," Germain said "The application and loan process for getting these businesses the help they need as quickly as possible needs some serious improve-
ments Better training for staff and consistency in communication with what is required to close these loans is seriously lacking It took some businesses anywhere from six to nine months to get their loans closed That is unacceptable "
While many Cape businesses were lucky enough to reopen doors to the public despite hefty obstacles to do so, it's important to not just recover, but to become resilient to the next storm, whenever that may be
"I believe Ian was a wakeup call for many residents and business owners, " Germain said Yes, we can and will get storm surge in Cape Coral We had heard it for years and never experienced it I am guilty myself of becoming a bit complacent where that was concerned A lot of businesses, ourself included, used this opportunity to harden our buildings beyond the regular scope of repairs We opted for a metal roof versus a shingle roof and are looking into ways to floodproof our welcome center "
Germain added that businesses are looking into ways to get back up and running faster following a disaster, such as installing generators at their business and adopting wireless backup systems These are examples of just some of the improvements the Chamber is seeing businesses make to ensure that they can continue operations when another major weather event takes place
So, what are the biggest takeaways for local businesses one year after Ian?
"I strongly encourage everyone to invest in a battery-operated storm radio," Germain said That is the best way to get information following a storm "
Germain added that prior to Hurricane Ian, the Chamber and the Emergency Operations Center were working on the Business Emergency Coordination Center to better communicate with local businesses It is a real-time dashboard linked to the Chamber's website that can be found by visiting capecoralchamber com
It has been one year since Hurricane Ian brought the islands to a halt with its devastating damage and the recovery of the Sanibel-Captiva business community has been a slow one but it is returning
Before the storm hit on Sept 28, 2022, the SanCap Chamber had an active membership of over 540 businesses President and Chief Executive Officer John Lai reported that Jerry's Foods on Sanibel was the first to reopen at the end of October It provided essential goods, but could not carry frozen foods and the refrigerated items were limited It took another month or two before more businesses reopened
While the number of pre-hurricane businesses in operation remains small, it does continue to grow
“We have just under 100 businesses that are reopened and that's across all sectors on both islands retail, restaurants, resorts, and banking and professional services, as well,” Lai said on Aug 21
In the accommodations sector, the Chamber approximated that there were just over 2,600 short-term lodging units on Sanibel and Captiva prior to Ian He explained that the number could never be confirmed because many of the units are tied to condo associations and such and those can fluctuate
“Right now we are sitting with 41 open on Sanibel and right around 164 on Captiva,” Lai said
“We’re sitting at less than 10% of our lodging inventory a year later,” he added
But with each passing month, there is some good news on the horizon as the recovery pushes on In late September, the Sanibel Island Beach Resort formerly Holiday Inn was planning to
reopen 98 units
Lai noted that it is difficult to judge timelines for reopenings because of the ties to associations
“Mainly because you ' re dealing with hundreds of individual owners, sitting in homeowners associations, dealing with insurance, dealing with permitting, dealing with contractors,” he said
The Chamber ’s prediction is about 40% of the total pre-storm units will be back for the 2025 season
As for the food service industry, there were 34 open island establishments as of late August
“Grocery and food trucks are included,” Lai said of the figure
others coming along more slowly,” Lai said “Tahitian Gardens and Periwinkle Place Shops are coming back online ”
He explained that because of the reduction in available accommodations on Sanibel-Captiva and the decreased foot traffic and customers as a result, retailers are being strategic about when to reopen
“They are shooting to open for season 2024,” Lai said “That seems to be the consistent theme that I'm hearing throughout the retail community ”
Another sign of encouragement for the islands is found in the professional services sector
“To have things like doctors’ offices open attorneys, trust companies and banks,” he said “Our business community benefits from that, but our residential community absolutely needs that So, it’s exciting for us to see those services come back ”
The Chamber has received word that the CVS on Sanibel aims to reopen in the first quarter
Again, there is a ray of light looking forward as several restaurants are anticipating returns during the fourth quarter There is Cheeburger Cheeburger and The Lighthouse Cafe on Sanibel, and the Keylime Bistro and The Green Flash on Captiva The Sundial Beach Resort & Spa is also expecting to reopen its main building restaurants before the year ’s end, including the Sea Breeze Cafe and Turtle s Tiki Bar
“In order for the restaurants to survive and thrive with the lack of hotel rooms, we re really dependent on the regional residents of Lee County and Southwest Florida coming out to the islands and taking advantage of the fact there are no waits, there are no crowds,” he said
With 24 retailers open toward the end of August, that sector seems to pacing its reopenings
“We know that there are some plazas ready to go, and we know that there are
Progress is never as quick as we would like to see it, but if we can remind ourselves of where we were a year ago,” Lai said, pointing out that the Sanibel Causeway was expected to take months or a year to rebuild
“We’re a lot further than we thought we would be, he added
Lai thanked the island business community for the work that it has put in over the past year
“We look forward to the years to come,” he said
The Chamber offers a list reopened businesses on Wander: Maps & Navigation The GPS-enabled interactive map also pinpoints open beach accesses, bike parking areas and the user ’s relative location Points of interest can be filtered by seven categories Users can download the app from Apple’s App Store and via Google Play They can also access the map online at tinyurl com/ sancapwandermap
“The Chamber ’s focus has been to get the word out that we are open,” Welch said “A brochure with free advertising for our members has been distributed off the island for the past six months and is continuing The 10 week, ‘We are open,’ ad campaign, ran in the Punta Gorda and Fort Myers area The Chamber continued island market and festivals so members had the opportunity to promote their businesses and get in front of island residents and visitors in central locations ”
Events are being widely promoted off the island as well, she added, as an offisland campaign on social media has been launched with posts regarding off-island tourism sites to get the word out that Pine Island businesses are open
The Chamber also continues its on-island campaign to “Keep it Local” and support island businesses More events are being planned including the “Adopt a Sea Turtle” art auction in October and Stone Crab Fest in November
Chamber board member
Dave Conner agreed with Welch that things such as running a free ad for members in the brochure as well as the ad campaign have hopefully sent the massage to members that the Chamber is supporting them as they climb back out of the chasm left from Hurricane Ian
“Many of the businesses out here are struggling, and many are reinventing themselves
When a new business opens, we try to get out as many people as we possibly can to support that business There are a few restaurants that have bounced back really well, like Blue Dog and the Perfect Cup,” Conner said
Bringing people out to Pine Island for various festivals and events is one of the keys to showing surrounding areas that Pine Island is open, he said Even before Hurricane Ian many people would come as far as Miceli’s or Blue Dog and not travel further onto the island, Conner said, adding that is the challenge
“Our job is to try to get them past that point
Certain areas are still tough Matlacha is tough, St James City is tough, Bokeelia is bouncing back a little quicker and
so is the Center, Conner said
Despite Ian, Chamber membership has continued to increase, which is very encouraging as businesses are learning all the Chamber can do to help them
We like new blood, new people, new ideas We’re moving forward It’s a slow move, but we’re moving forward It gets better every day,” Conner said
One such business that has not only utilized the Chamber, but given back to the Chamber as well as other groups is Salty Girls Island Café
Owner Lisa Dence, who was also the owner of a previously thriving restaurant, the Olde Fish House, which closed due to Hurricane Ian, has opened this new café and welcomes islanders with open arms
The transition to the Salty Girls Island Café has found her well, she said, as they are now able to give back to the island by taking part in such things as the Beacon Bites, a program akin to Meals on Wheels, created by the Beacon of Hope
“It’s been different, but we’re very much enjoying it and we’re very appreciative to the community for all their support We’re very glad to be back,” Dence said
In another effort to give back, Dence has launched “The Comeback is Stronger than the Setback” T-shirt campaign, the proceeds of which are to be split between the Greater Pine Island Alliance and the Pine Island Kiwanis Club Shirts are currently on sale at the Salty Girls Island Café and the Salty Girls Grab and Go located at Pineland Marina in Bokeelia
Jayson Rider, president of Pine Island Kiwanis Club, explained the utilization of Salty Girls Island Café by the Kiwanis, which had to relocate its meetings from the local United Methodist Church due to summer camp programs
“We reached out to Salty Girls Island Café, and they were willing to accommodate us for breakfast and a place to hold our meetings We thank them for their hospitality and delicious breakfasts,” Rider said
The Outrigger Resort and Charley’s Boat House were purchased for $38 million by London Bay Development London Bay is under contract to purchase the Sandpiper Gulf Resort and are completing the Grandview at Bay Beach, a new condo tower
Shuckers at the Gulfshore and Cottage Bar, which stood for 100 years as one of the town’s iconic properties, was washed away by Ian The vacant lot sold for $9 million
Matanzas on the Bay and the Matanzas Inn, two prominent businesses off Crescent Street near the future Margaritaville Resort, were sold in June
“Real estate is brisk,” said Loffreno Real Estate owner Christian Loffreno “If property is priced properly, it sells fairly quickly within 60 days Most of our sales have been teardowns or homes that need a total remodel We sold about a dozen properties off island in Fort Myers, Bonita, and Naples as well to fellow local Fort Myers Beach residents that relocated due to Ian ”
Loffreno said he has sold some condos on the island “but not as many due to limited access to the buildings and most still with electricity or elevators
Lahaina Real Estate Managing Broker
Paula Kiker said real estate was “extremely busy on the island between January and May” before slowing down this summer
a s t ro n g m o n t h f o r u s i s A u g u s t H o w e v e r, i n 2 0 2 3 i t w a s a l o t s l o w e r t h a n i n y e a r s p a s t , ” K i k e r s a i d “ P r i c e s a re t o o h i g h , m o s t o f o u r i n v e n t or y y o u c a n n o t g e t a l o a n o n a n d t h e i n t e re s t r a t e i s s t i l l c l i m b i n g We a re i n t h e p e a k o f s t o r m s e a s o n , a n d b u y e r s m u s t b e a s k i n g t h e m s e l v e s , ‘ W h y
w a i t a f e w m o n t h s u n t i l t h e s t o r m s e a s o n i s o v e r a n d m y r i s k i s l o w e r ? ’ We h a v e a re a l c r i s i s w i t h i n s u r a n c e ”
Kiker said the cost of the assessments condo owners will pay for hurricane repairs is affecting condo sales, which have started to rise Some condo buildings issued assessments of more than $1 million to make up the balance of the rebuilding costs
Continued on page 11C
Through June 27, there were 131 closings on single-family homes on Fort Myers Beach with a median selling price of $754,000 There were 78 closings of condos with a median price of $585,000
From May 1 through Aug 30, Kiker said “We have closed 61 single family homes in total, ranging from $425,000 (dry lot remediated home) to $3 5 million (beachfront home) with average days on the market being 108 "
Since May 1, there were 70 condo sale closings on Fort Myers Beach, including 16 units at the Grandview at Bay Beach Prices for condos have ranged from $248,000 for a Pink Shell Beach Resort condo-hotel unit to a high of $2 17 million at the Grandview
“We have a long road ahead, and it is our opportunity to educate the seller and, more importantly, the incoming buyer of the risks and rewards to purchase in Paradise,” Kiker said Pine Island & Matlacha: A ‘ best
Realtors covering Pine Island an Matlacha say buyers are seeing some of the best bargains around RE/MAX Sunshine broker and owner Chardayne Seuffert is among those optimistic about the real estate market in Matlacha, citing it as the best place to fish and own waterfront property
“We have a lot of activity and also a lot of hesitancy because of all the unknowns,
like FEMA and the historical society, because of the damage from hurricane Ian What I see is a massive opportunity for waterfront property,” Seuffert said
She sees a lot of activity coming up in revitalizing the entire area although sales in Matlacha are understandably a little slow due to hurricane Ian there have been only seven recent sales Most of the sales in Matlacha however, have been higher than they were before the hurricane Since there are fewer than 200 houses on the island of Matlacha, buyers would do well to seize the opportunity to own property there
“I think it’s probably the best buy out here There are many unknowns as it all comes together Honestly, I think it’s the best investment, because Matlacha has the charm no other town has, and it’s the pathway to the island We always put the integrity of Matlacha before a sale It’s slower than we want, but we are extraordinarily hopeful for the future, and it looks bright,” Seuffert said
Carlyn Herring of C-21 Sunbelt Realty said the real estate market on Pine Island is flourishing – regardless of Hurricane Ian damaging many of the homes and properties, home inventory is pretty high “Prices are also high but if homes are priced appropriately, they’re still selling pretty quickly,” Herring said Herring, who said this is her first experience selling following a major hurricane, added it’s been extraordinary
to see how many homes sold immediately following the disaster
Due to the stressful process of rebuilding, many folks have decided to just put their homes on the market, she said
Jay Richter, sales manager of John R Wood, summed up the islands' market succinctly
”Southwest Florida is still popular across the globe They are aware of hurricanes, but want what we have,” he said A changed market in C ape Coral
There are three local drivers impacting the market in Cape Coral: damaged homes that need to be repaired, flood elevations that changed after Hurricane Ian and homeowners insurance, which has spiked
In the Cape, the area south of Cape Coral Parkway from Skyline Boulevard down took the brunt of the storm and values have depreciated there due to the amount of damage sustained
A three-bedroom, two-bath waterfront home that would have sold last year in the $700,000- $800,000 range is selling as-is, with damage and the drywall cut out, for $500,000-$530,000 This is drawing the interest of investors who are fixing and flipping them, which, unfortunately, is contributing to the insurance crisis, according to industry leaders
Price, though, continues to climb in much of the Cape with overall taxable property valuation up more than 14 percent despite the hurricane
As t h e o n e - y e a r a n n i v e r s a r y
o f H u r r i c a n e I a n h a s a r r i v e d , s t a t e a n d f e d e r a l
f u n d s a r e f i l t e r i n g i n t o L e e
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f r o m t h e c o s t l i e s t s t o r m i n
F l o r i d a h i s t o r y C o u n t y g o v e r n -
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t o p r o v i d e m o r e h e l p f o r t h e
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c o s t l i e s t h u r r i c a n e i n A m e r i c a n h i s t o r y
The county estimates there is currently an unmet need of between $8 billion and $10 billion for the county to fully recover from Ian’s destruction
Lee County Assistant County Manager Glen Salyer recently drafted a letter, signed off on by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners, calling on the county’s congressional delegation to deliver more aid for hurricane recovery
In a county where many roofs remain under tarps and a large number of homes and businesses on the barrier islands were lost, the county is currently embarking on a two-pronged approach to recovery
First on the county’s radar is planning for the distribution of $1 1 billion in an emergency disaster community block grant from the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development Of those funds, 60% will be dedicated to housing repairs and construction, with 32% for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and water systems About 5% will go towards administration, 2% to planning and 1% to public services
The county is also pursuing the identification of rebuilding projects through its Project Resiliency Long-Term Recovery Task Force, which will allow the county to request more than the $1 1 billion HUD has offered so far The task force has sought out project requests from communities around the county, including towns, cities and schools Lee County Commissioner Kevin Ruane, who is chairing that task force, said more than $9 billion has been identified in potential projects
Ruane expects the county to receive greater funding from the federal government
“It’s going to be a long-term process to advocate for a lot more funding,” he said He cited examples from other hurricanes where the federal government increased its initial allotment for relief He estimates that the total damage in Lee County from Hurricane Ian was about $35 billion
“We as a community, through one voice with the task force, are coming together on all the projects to rebound as a region,” Ruane said “These projects we are doing are massive projects ”
Among them is the ongoing repair of the Sanibel Causeway
Ruane said there was damage to water systems throughout the county, which need to be addressed
“There was not one water system that
Hurricane Ian struck Lee County with winds of up to 155 mph and brought up to 16 feet of storm surge It destroyed more than 5,000 homes and 284 businesses
Another 910 businesses suffered major damage Lee County incurred $112 billion in damages
More than 11 million cubic yards of debris were left scattered countywide
The storm impacted every beach, all county parks and every traffic signal
Lee County facilities suffered damages of approximately $297 million
From the time of Hurricane Ian through June 30, Lee County Community Development staff accepted 72,516 permit applications, 45,411 of which were identified by the applicant as being hurricane-related Staff issued 68,362 permits, 43,006 of which were identified by the applicant as being hurricane-related In the same period, 207,056 inspections were requested and 131,323 inspections were completed, of which 108,831 were hurricane-related
■ Florida Department of Emergency Management housing assistance through July 19:
Temporary Trailer Program: 1,198 trailers installed, 1,066 households moved in
■ Sheltering in Home for Recovery Continuation (SHRC) Program
4,709 applications
701 work orders for repairs issued
126 repairs in process
87 repairs completed
■ FEMA National Flood Insurance aid to county property owners through June 16: $2 8 billion
■ FEMA housing assistance
98,435 households approved for individual assistance of $473 million
23,599 households approved for rental assistance of $67 7 million
22 applicants remaining to be housed
623 Households currently licensed into direct housing
■ Permanent housing programs
Owner Occupied Rehab: Assisting 39 households with damage from Ian
Past Due Rent/Mortgage Assistance: 87 applications being processed
■ FUNDING - Hurricane Housing Recovery Program (HHRP)
$8 2 million in initial awards approved by county commissioners
$3 5 million to rehab 89 owner-occupied homes $3 9 million for downpayment assistance to 36 low income/special needs households
$750,000 to provide demolition/reconstruction of three homes for low income households
SOURCES: LEE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND FEMA
didn’t breach,” Ruane said
On Aug 15, the Lee County Board of County Commissioners approved a $5 1 million contract with Hagerty Consulting to develop 13 neighborhood community and resiliency plans for the county, which is develop the task force plans The commissioners also approved $590,000 with Hagerty Consulting, which has offices in Tallahassee, for consulting work relating to the planning for the community block development grant and for long-term recovery plans County commissioners also approved spending $359,325 on Aug 15 for goods and services relating to Hurricane Ian recovery Lee County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Brian Hamman said part of the delay in repairing county
facilities was due to management wanting to wait for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to inspect properties so the county wouldn’t risk full reimbursement before doing any work
“When you look at how far we have come in our recovery, it is hard to believe that it has been a year since Hurricane Ian devastated this county,” Hamman said “Lee County is strong and resilient and we came back with a determination and a focus that was truly impressive ”
Hamman said that while work is underway to rebuild, “for our hardest-hit island communities there is still work to be done getting our infrastructure built back better and stronger than before, and making sure the resources get to the citizens who need it the most ”
On Aug 15, the county approved a contract for $1,459,410 with Answer Advisory to repair county-owned facilities damaged by Hurricane Ian The contract is mostly for roofing flooring, drywall, heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment at various locations The contract does not include funding to replace facilities that were considered totaled or facing more serious damage such as the Fort Myers Beach restrooms at Lynn Hall Memorial Park or Bowditch Point Park, or the Fort Myers Beach Pier The contract also doesn’t cover any repairs to county facilities on Sanibel
The commissioners also approved $573,817 with AECOM and $662,495 for management and construction administration services on the facility repairs
Fran Crone, manager of the Southwest Florida and Lee County Fair Association, questioned why the list of county properties were not identified with the spending resolution and whether the Whaley Hall at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers would be a part of those repairs
“It’s basically destroyed and nothing has been addressed,” Crone said
Ehab Guirguis, Lee County director of Facilities and Construction Management, said in response to a follow-up question on Whaley Hall by Commissioner Mike Greenwell, who represents District 5, that “we don’t know if this building is repairable or not ” Greenwell asked if there was a timeline and Guirguis said there wasn’t
Greenwell said about $100,000 has been spent on repairs at the civic center and expects it to be open next year for the 100th anniversary of the county fair
Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce Jacki Liszak said the repair of the county-owned Fort Myers Beach Pier is critical to the town’s rebuilding
“I can’t tell you how important it is for us to get that pier back and get it back fast,” Liszak said to Salyer at a recent community meeting involving the $1 1 billion HUD grant
Liszak also said that more of the county’s planning needs to involve business recovery
“We’ve had hundreds of people who have left our community I think everybody here knows many people who have left and moved elsewhere who have left here because they can’t find work and can’t find housing,” Liszak said “We’ve had dozens and dozens of businesses that are still closed because they don’t even have a structure to operate out of ”
Lee County Commissioner Ray Sandelli, District 3, which encompasses Fort Myers Beach, said decisions still need to be made if the pier will be rebuilt in the same location
“I know the pier is very important to people,” he said
“Is that the right place for the pier? Probably so,” he said “The time it takes is frustrating ”
At a Congressional Oversight hearing in August over FEMA’s response to Hurricane Ian in Lee County, Hamman blamed the slow inspection of FEMA in delaying the county’s rebuilding of county facilities
“It didn’t help that FEMA initially blamed its slow process on our local land development code This triggered waves of distrust,” Hamman said “FEMA needed more of its inspectors here sooner rather than later ”
“Our administrative team of the county doesn’t have the confidence to fix or repair anything right now relating to county facilities or county infrastructure because until it gets an inspection by FEMA they are risking the reimbursement that could come from making those repairs,” he said
Many residents call us daily Why haven’t you torn down the restrooms at Fort Myers Beach at Lynn Hall Memorial
Park that look terrible?’ We are told we are not even allowed to touch them If we touch them, if we clean them, we are risking reimbursement ”
According to Guirguis, FEMA has now inspected all of the county’s facilities
It’s not just county facilities people are worried about
The cost of insurance is going up for homeowners and many are having trouble getting fully reimbursed by insurance companies for damage from Hurricane Ian
Sandelli recommends that homeowners hire adjusters to make sure they get what they are owed from insurance
“It’s a challenging time for everybody,” he said “We live in a state that is prone to hurricanes It won’t be the last hurricane ”
Ruane said the county “moved mountains” in its response to Hurricane Ian He cited the removal of debris, which he said the federal government funded 75% with the rest covered by the county and state, as a major accomplishment
Ruane said more needs to be done to clean out the county’s waterways
“My priority is to achieve as many things as we can and utilize multiple funding agencies,” he said
Hamman is optimistic about the county’s future and its recovery from Hurricane Ian
“When it is all said and done, Lee County is going to have some of the most pristine beaches and newest resorts in the entire state of Florida and that is going to continue to drive our economy, create jobs, and make sure we remain the top destination of choice, Hamman said
Ruane said the recovery will take time “It’s a five-year plan, not a one-year plan,” he said
Hurricane Ian caused an
mate $300 million in dama which will most likely increase as all of the work has yet to be completed So, far, FEMA has committed $10 9 million in reimbursements to the school district
“We are extremely grateful to our legislative delegation and the Florida Department of Education f their support We are extre grateful to our staff, families and students that rebounded with such resilience We are extremely grateful to our community partners and volunteers who stepped up to help when it was needed most,” School District of Lee County spokesperson Rob Spicker said Ahe ad of the storm
“Internal meetings started a week before the storm hit,” Spicker said “We started advising schools about securing their cam-
puses and supplied our shelter schools with food, toiletries and other necessities should they be needed We embedded personnel into the Lee County Emergency Operations Center as soon as it was activated and immediately announced the closure of our schools when the decision was made by EOC staff to open shelters ”
The district, several days before the storm hit, engaged its insurance companies, so open communication could be had with them also entered into a contract h a consultant who could lp us manage the FEMA eimbursement process to ensure from the first day of any recovery effort we were preparing and including the proper documentation FEMA required to ensure the maximum eimbursement,” Spicker d he district opened 13 schools as shelters before Hurricane Ian impacted Southwest Florida
Assessing d amage
Once the wind, rain and storm surge finally subsided, school principals became the first eyes on each campus “They were tasked with conducting a preliminary assessment of their campuses That was followed by an aerial assessment
Continued on page 14C
Schools from page 13C
by the Superintendent (Dr Christopher Bernier) and Florida Commissioner of Education of some of the more damaged campuses,” Spicker said “The superintendent and principals returned for a ground tour to the most damaged campuses Maintenance personnel were also dispatched to campuses for their assessment of the damage
Knowing we could not rely on cursory inspections we engaged certified building professionals for a comprehensive report on the damage and necessary repairs "
Four schools reported no damage in their initial assessments, which included East Lee County High School, Lehigh Acres Middle School, Mirror Lakes Elementary School and Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
We really found that our values worked. In the immediate aftermath we regularly talked about putting our people first. Staff had to be in a position where they were ready and able to return to work before anything else, so we provided the support, grace and compassion they needed.”
~School District of Lee County
Spokesperson Rob Spicker
The schools that suffered the most damage included Fort Myers Beach
Elementary, Hector A Cafferata
Elementary School, The Sanibel School, Lexington Middle School and Diplomat Middle School
Fort Myers Beach Elementary School was covered by 10 feet of water, damaging the plumbing, electrical and mechanical systems beyond repair Spicker said the outer buildings on the campus have all been demolished since the hurricane The historic building, on the other hand, is being renovated with a target of returning the school’s 50 students to the building
“Students at Fort Myers Beach are attending classes at San Carlos Park The goal is to return them to their campus on the beach on Nov 13,” he said
Hurricane Ian took the majority of the Hector A Cafferata Elementary roof, resulting in extensive water damage throughout the Cape Coral school
“The school will be demolished and a new K-8 at a site a few miles away is
planned for construction,” Spicker said “Hector Cafferata students are in portables next to Cape Coral Tech The School Board is expected to approve the documents necessary to start building the new K-8 soon and the earliest it could be complete is in 2025 ”
The Sanibel School took on 4 feet of water throughout the campus The damage was repaired and students returned to their school in February, after they too were sharing a campus with San Carlos Park Elementary School
Another school that took on quite a bit of water was Lexington Middle School with 18 inches on the first floor The students were able to return to their school on Oct 31, after repairs were made Diplomat Middle School in Cape Coral also suffered roof and window damage following the storm, which were repaired allowing students to return to the campus on Oct 31
The remaining campus that suffered damage opened between Oct 17 and Oct 21
“We had help from district’s around the state, including Miami-Dade, Broward, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Glades, Osceola, Marion, St John’s and Volusia sending personnel Our maintenance staff was preforming as much repair work as they could manage We also entered into a contract with Cotton Commercial USA and used our previously approved vendors already under contract for repairs,” Spicker said
Reopening schools
The district established a nine safety criteria checklist before opening a school for students, teachers and staff That set included reliable power, potable water, professional assessment, leak secure, working A/C, functioning fire alarm and intercom, indoor air quality, debris cleaned u and ability to serve food
The maintenance department completed all the repairs they could manage The remaining permanent repairs can be viewed at leeschools net/weather watch Resources provided
With more than 200 teachers displaced due to their homes being damaged, as well as many families and students, the district offered many resources to them
Some of those examples for families included mental health support, connections to social services and community organizations, food, water and supply distributions, extended time away from school if necessary, tutoring, test preparation and other academic supports
Similar examples of supports were also given to staff, which also included connections to free legal document review and uninterrupted pay
As with any storm there is always reflection to see if procedures, policies and plans need to be tweaked
“We really found that our values worked In the immediate aftermath we regularly talked about putting our people first Staff had to be in a position where they were ready and able to return to work before anything else, so we provided the support, grace and compassion they needed,” Spicker said “We were in a developmental and transitional process during recovery, so we didn’t always have all the answers, but we were constantly working to find them and providing them as soon as possible We recognized the disproportionate impact of the Hurricane and understood that not all our staff, our students, our families or our buildings needed the same attention, which allowed us to devote resources where they were needed most We recognized that even incremental progress was progress, and every step forward, no matter how small, was important ”
