It seemed like in this one, it was like, OK, tomorrow you gotta get out of here, Yost said. Nigel Chiwaya is the Senior Editor, Data Viz for NBC News Digital. On Florida's east coast, residentsare working to prevent batteredbeachfront properties from collapsing into the ocean after first Ian, then Nicole ripped awaymountains of sand and seawalls. How to make the most of your Orlando trip, How a gay bar made downtown Dunedins business culture bloom, Rays go from being no-hit to blowing out the White Sox, Struggling Florida high school seniors may get graduation reprieve, Beneath a Fort Myers bridge, a captain longs to return to sea. One of the places severely damaged by Hurricane Ian was Fort Myers Beach, and seven months later, theres still more to do, but theyve come a long way. Hurricane season 2022 included widespread destruction fromFiona and Ian. " We have a tentative reopening date of May 25 for the Fort Myers Beach location. More: View from above: Aerial video shows Fort Myers Beach scars six months after Ian, More: These 8 aerial photos of Fort Myers Beach reveal wounded landscape six months after Ian, This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Sanibel island hurricane damage documented in drone video, Mark H. Bickel and Ricardo Roln, Fort Myers News-Press. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hoffman, who has three kids and pets, took that as a sign that officials didnt see a big threat. Even if he was miles from the water. Still, at the seven-month mark since the Category 4 storm hit, it can be difficult and painful to see the scars that remain in many places, including Sanibel Island, which along with Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island and parts of Cape Coral and Fort Myers neighborhoods along the Caloosahatchess River, absorbed the brunt of Ian. Eight people rode out the hurricane in a beachside motel. An estimated 34,000 people stayed in emergency shelters. It slowed over Volusia County, dumping nearly 21 inches of rain in some areas and bringing gusts of up to 96 mph that battered coastal zones with near king tides, he said. NBC News has identified 148 deaths related to Hurricane Ian in Florida, based on public records obtained from local and state authorities (see the full methodology below). We expect that Hurricane Ian opened a lot of peoples eyes about the danger of storm surge and what to do if youre in an evacuation zone.. There were 109 loggerhead sea turtle nests recorded on Fort Myers Beach last year, up from 30 when Turtle Time first began tracking the nests. One of the places severely damaged by Hurricane Ian was Fort Myers Beach, and seven months later, theres still more to do, but theyve come a long way. Lee officials did not yet issue an evacuation, saying Ians path remained uncertain. In the meantime, he and his wife are thinking about Texas. And its only one month until we could start seeing storms developing across the waters. Rebuilding. Scores drowned as they fled on foot, while in their cars or after seawater swallowed their homes. Days after Disney sued Florida's governor in federal court for what it described as retaliation for opposing the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, members of Disney World's governing board made up of Gov. Capt. In this CBS Miami special report, we take a look at a whole host of hurricane season topics from above average activity to complacency concerns. About 10% of the homeless had lived on boats that were destroyed. 7 things to know about Fort Myers Beach's'functional paradise,' new damage estimates, No injuries in roof fire that raged at Fort Myers Beach condo building Saturday afternoon, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. It's a blow he's not sure he can recover from. Protected nationally since 1978 by the Endangered Species Act, loggerhead sea turtles were once much rarer on Fort Myers Beach. Most of those who died were over age 65, NBC News analysis found, and many of them lived alone. Copyright FORT MYERS - Beach Observer and Beach Bulletin | https://www.fortmyersbeachtalk.com | 19260 San Carlos Blvd, Bldg. The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30. That night, below a shot of sunset, he wrote, Success in your life is a result of self-satisfaction.. An emergency sand berm is built on Fort Myers Beach on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Businesses finding their footing and opening again. Turtle Time founder Eve Haverfield said lighting violations have continued to be an issue on Fort Myers Beach. Families of the missing are caught in limbo over their loved ones fate. Over the weekend, a female sea turtle visited Bonita Beach checking out the nesting sites, Haverfield said. In this CBS Miami special report, we take a look at a whole host of hurricane season topics from above average activity to complacency "Sometimes that can be a savings, as well if the company has overstated your replacement costs," Norberg said. The next day, Jim returned, fearful about what he might find. Lisa is forecast to strengthen before making landfall. Last year, Turtle Time reported that some sea turtle hatchlings were found under condos and houses because the propertys lights disoriented them. They knew days in advance. Recovery efforts continue at Fort Myers Beach in the wake of Hurricane Ian. The forecasters were comparing Ian to Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm that hit the area in 2004. An emergency sand berm is built on Fort Myers Beach on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, many businesses along Fort Myers Beach have put in the work to get their operations back up. Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher and two 8-member teams from FEMA went door-to-door Monday in some of the areas hardest hit by last month's flooding. Then, in February, Lee County Sheriffs Office deputies ordered everyone out. Hurricane Mom, I cant come get you, DeMoss recalled saying. Collson, an avid cook who liked to kid and laugh, stuck firmly to her decision not to leave home, Jim said. Around 4:30 p.m. that day, Peters called DeMoss in a panic. Fort Myers Beach Please note, filter wraps, gels, and colored party bulbs are not compliant, because the emit light that sea turtles are sensitive to.. On the east coast of Florida, Volusia County opted for only a voluntary evacuation order ahead of Ian. Debris in front of a home in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Oct. 31. Until then, his dreams will keep him afloat. He insists hes not worried. Giarratana knows the Southwest Florida area is vulnerable. Cleaning up in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian is underway in Fort Myers Beach. Too many people still die in hurricanes, even after vast improvements in forecasting and communication, said disaster researcher Amber Silver. Each spring without fail, female loggerhead sea turtles make their way back to Fort Myers Beach after months of swimming hundreds, if not thousands of miles out in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Sea turtle nesting season has begun in Southwest Florida. That experience influenced many peoples decisions not to flee Hurricane Ian. One of the cheapest FWC certified wildlife lighting options that staff has found available online is the , that screws into classic Edison fixtures. The elevation of the $7.8 million berm will be more than 6 feet and will cover most of the beachside of the island. They were supposed to map out reasons why the death penalty would not be appropriate if a jury convicts Joseph Zieler, but they havent submitted those reasons yet. That upset her. Collson, who lived on a finger of land 5 miles from the island where the hurricane made landfall, texted Jim as conditions worsened. I would have gone and picked him up.. Health authorities in southern Nevada saw a record 17 cases during 2022. and last updated 2023-04-26 18:10:08-04. In a place with one of Americas highest risks of deadly storm surge, Collson was among the most vulnerable and overlooked. hide caption. In recent years, a growing number of older people with impairments have been given the resources health aides, medical equipment, meal deliveries, paid caregivers to remain at home instead of spend the rest of their days in nursing homes or assisted living centers. Companion bills making their way through the Florida Legislature would make Gov. Tom James for WGCU/NPR Weve documented 14 dead turtles, seven of them on Fort Myers Beach, Haverfield said. Turtle time is here | News, Sports, Jobs - FORT MYERS - Beach The back door just blew off and the waters coming in, she wrote that afternoon. Others may have lost spouses who handled such things or dont have nearby family members or neighbors to ask for help. Efforts to convince people to move out of harm's way as a hurricane approaches face many hurdles. Indoor lighting should be as far away from windows as possible. As a Category 4 hurricane, Irma caused more than $64 billion in Jon Schuppe is an enterprise reporter for NBC News, based in New York. Houses floated by. The spot where Mitch Pacyna's home once stood, and where he died. And the Barnacles so much worse than I thought.. Many have moved to Florida in recent years from places where theyd never experienced hurricanes. As Ian made its approach toward Floridas southwest coast, many residents thought of the last major storm to come through: Irma, a Category 3 hurricane in 2017, for which nearly 7 million people statewide evacuated. Jay said at the end of March, ranting about the boatyard owners. Some are preventable. Fort Myers News-Press. Her son Robert DeMoss drove to her house soon after Lee Countys evacuation order was issued and begged her to come home with him about 15 minutes inland. But the storm shifted east and weakened, and it arrived at low tide. Do your weekend shopping at Walmart and save big across a ton of categories. What you do is up to you, Gleason said. The water is rising, she told him. Norberg said many homeowners should contact their agents about possibly adjusting the replacement costs of their homes on policies. He had heeded calls to leave before Irma because the Fort Myers Beach home he was living in at the time looked like it was held together by staples, he said. Right now, there are multiple major violations that will need to be ameliorated by May 1., Haverfield is concerned that the loss of vegetation on the beach due to Hurricane Ian could lead sea turtles to wander further inland, possibly onto Estero Boulevard. Jim interviews Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis who was at the White House this week to push for federal assistance for the victims of the historic flooding that ravaged homes and businesses in Broward County. County governments also maintain registries of disabled people who may need to go to special-needs shelters during storms. He anchored offshore, rowed a dinghy to town when he needed cigarettes. There has been this assumption that everybody should be able to read these guides and get this information, but its not that simple, said Lindsay Peterson, a research assistant professor at the University of South Floridas School of Aging Studies. Someone to travel around the world with me., Im going to do a TV show from every port. Ian brought this gap into focus.. Six months after Hurricane Ian stormed across Southwest Florida, people in many areas are still struggling to rebuild. We try to educate people on those worst-case scenarios and their vulnerability, said Cody Fritz, a storm surge specialist at the National Hurricane Center. Islanders on the six-mile stretch of land had been eagerly awaiting updates on their only grocery store for months, reaching out to officials and posting to social media. But Im still searching for that female companion., Hell settle for a Pomeranian. I wish he would have called, said Stacy, who lives in Orlando. Throughout southwest Florida, there are tens of thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Ian with stories like the Heltons. Our team is working diligently to get the store prepped and ready for reopening," Lindsey Willis, Publix media relations manager, said in an email. Though there hasnt been a nesting yet on Fort Myers Beach, Haverfield said the false crawls (as it is known when a sea turtle emerges on the beach but doesnt lay eggs) on Bonita Beach over the weekend were exciting to see.. We knew it was not a good chance she made it.. Before the news was confirmed, some locals had gotten a sneak peek when they spotted the store was listed as reopening on May 25 on Google earlier this week. And the county printed 48,000 all hazards guides for free distribution, Clayton wrote. Sea turtle nesting season officially begins this Monday on Fort Myers Beach, with regulations in place to protect the threatened species. At 7 a.m., Lee County officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for the countys highest-risk areas. Jay planned, then, to travel to Key West. I was ready to say my last prayer and the water stopped and started receding, Conway said. He rode out three hurricanes and dozens of other storms on the water. Living in the same town but in a new home that felt sturdier, he assumed the predictions about storm surge would once again not come to fruition. Hurricane Hurricane Fort Myers Beach "I think one of the biggest tips is to find that insurance policy, take a picture of it and put it on a phone, so you don't have to find it," Norberg said. But the shelter didnt have any beds available, just a wheelchair. But people dont realize that for older adults who are isolated in their homes and are trying to fly under the radar its extremely difficult to leave, Rothhaar said. Fort Myers Beach recovery efforts seven months after A member of a search-and-rescue team checks a home for victims in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Oct. 3. Yost said he and others were lulled into a false sense of security by past storms and the lack of urgency around Ian. The bodies of Peggy Collson and Michael Verdream were found in Matlacha's canals. New construction. Way Day 2023 has been extended through Friday. Wayfair has extended its biggest sale of the year through tonight. He was sick of the grind of bureaucracy, tired of living on land. Capt. The only access to the Matlacha neighborhood, shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Fla., on Sept. 30. And if you are installing new windows, choose a NFRC light transmittance specification of 30% or less., The Sea Turtle Conservancy recommends Frontier Lighting & Synergy Lighting for lighting fixtures that protect sea turtles, Chustz said. As Florida approaches the start of hurricane season this summer, insurance experts say there are some things homeowners should be checking. After being grounded by Hurricane Ian, an aging sailor struggles to Where the newly constructed berm is in place, sea turtles are less likely to reach Estero Boulevard., The Town of Fort Myers Beach is reminding all property owners to be conscientious about the lighting they are installing, Chustz said. Hurricane Photos: This is what Florida looks like after Hurricane Ian, Flooding and closed roads are some of the challenges Florida's people face after Ian. To taste the salty air and hear the wind chiming his sail rigging. The largest hurricane was Unnamed in They say they'll dispose of a property they loved, but which, like so much else on Fort Myers Beach, is now gone forever. Ian tore through a few hours later, bringing 150 mph winds and a wall of water higher than the area had seen for decades. Still, at the seven-month mark since the Category 4 storm hit, it can be difficult and painful to see the scars that remain in many places, including Sanibel Island, which South Florida can expect heavy rains, gusty winds, and coastal flooding. Many impaired older people are hard to reach because they are afraid of being forced to leave their homes. ", Susan Helton has experienced trauma before. After the storm, he climbed out of his house and went looking for his two closest friends in Fort Myers Beach, Mitch Pacyna and Daymon Utterback. The result has led many homeowners to state-backed Citizens Insurance. She encountered Hurricane Ian debris that still remains on the beach in nesting habitat at her first attempt to nest. Sand from Immokalee is getting trucked in. WebSeptember 9, 1919 The 1919 Florida Keys hurricane passes about 50 miles (80 km) south of Key West, producing strong winds and heavy rainfall reaching an estimated peak of 13.4 Town officials threatened to break up the vessel, so a crowd showed up and shoved it back into Boca Ciega Bay. FORT MYERS, FLA. No place in Florida seemed to have suffered more damage from Hurricane Ian than the town of Fort Myers Beach, located on Estero Island NBC News reporters submitted more than 60 public records requests to local and state police agencies, medical examiners offices and emergency management agencies to collect 911 and emergency dispatch recordings, police reports, autopsy records and other documents to account for the dead. The investigation was based on a review of hundreds of death records, an examination of flood maps and interviews with survivors, victims relatives, service providers, disaster preparedness experts and current and former public officials. I may be in the water by next week.. After tornado hits Virginia Beach, dozens of homes left damaged Over the previous 24 hours, the expected landfall had shifted about 80 miles south, according to the National Hurricane Center. The surge snapped Yosts mailbox, rising from about 3 feet to about 10 feet in 10 minutes. But guess what, a higher power came in and said, 'Go ahead, press that button one more time and see if she can take it.' Of those violations, the town issued 44 citations with a total of $19,050 in fines. There is no one to blame. It wasnt supposed to be hitting us, Conway said. But hurry -- these way hot deals are selling way fast. Ians forecast called for heavy rains, but ultimately, the storm brought more rainfall than expected, and with stronger winds, Judge said. A Florida couple wonders where to go after losing their Fort Myers Those at the National Weather Service want you to have things figured out so youre ready if or when a hurricane hits. Hurricane Ian one month later: Inside Floridas recovery, Overwhelmed medical examiners try to identify those killed by Hurricane Ian, After the storm, an autistic boy and his older brother drowned in a flooded canal. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, many businesses along Fort Myers Beach have put in the work to get their operations back up. Ron DeSantis official travel records secret. Fort Myers Beach, FL - Hurricane Information & Risks | Homefacts It demolished his sunroom and opened the house to the elements. Jerry Springer, the one-time big city mayor whose namesake TV show unleashed chaos on weekday afternoons, has died at 79. 4 min read. The historic storm surge last fall from Hurricane Ian changed the way coastal risks are viewed. When storms and hurricanes come into the county from the east, officials typically mandate coastal areas to evacuate because those storms bring deadly surges off the Atlantic, he said. Irmas forecasts had originally put Fort Myers and the rest of Lee County at risk of a direct hit, with storm surges of up to 15 feet. Susan and Jim Helton are in Fort Myers now, at a hotel where there's no power or water. Lees has 2,700 people on it. Beginning May 1, some people with higher credit scores may actually end up paying a higher fee. The surge picked up everything in the house: furniture, heavy appliances, a golf cart, "and books," Susan says, "all my books.". Its not hard to remember the days immediately following Hurricane Ian and how tough they were. Sand from Immokalee is getting trucked in. Weighing the probability of a deadly storm surge against a crowded shelter or taking into consideration health problems or lack of transportation, many people choose to wait out storms. 'Critical' to check property insurance now as hurricane season nears If passed, Hurricane Tax Relief Week would be May 27. By the time Peters realized she was wrong, water had already started gushing into her home. Your nonperishable food items really important to want to make sure that you have that those important documents on hand, flashlights, batteries, making sure all your devices are charged up as much as possible, Giarratana said. "I've had a good life and he threw me this curve. The morning the storm hit, Verdream, 66, told his niece Stacy Verdream that he planned to ride it out. After months of repairs and planning, Publix officials confirmed Friday morning that the Estero Boulevard location is slated to reopen its doors on May 25. "We'll see what happens tomorrow. Landscaping. Destroyed houses and buildings are visible in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Friday. He was glad to make coffee on a real stove each morning and have ice in his rum and Cokes at night. They included Kristina Peters, 59, who chose to stay with her boyfriend in North Fort Myers, where they lived a baseballs throw away from the Gulf of Mexico. A good Monday morning to you as the sun rises from Placida, he texted friends on March 20, beneath a photo of tangerine clouds. He spent a few slow days carrying everything up the 10-foot ladder onto the deck, then down into the crowded cabin. Tropical Storm Nicole made landfall in the Bahamas shortly before noon Wednesday and is expected to continue its approach to Florida sometime tonight. Destruction caused by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach is viewed from the air on Oct. 1, 2022. But those efforts reach fewer than 13,000 people in a seven-county region with nearly 700,000 people over 60. After a winter of searching for crabs, mollusks and whelks, adult female turtles begin mating this time of year and searching for coastal habitats like Fort Myers Beach to lay their eggs. Stunned, Yost went to Utterbacks house. Joseph Zieler, an accused killer, in court for emergency hearing, Lee County to receive over $1.1B in federal funding for Hurricane Ian recovery, Army Corps studying storm risk management in Collier County after Hurricane Ian, Sea turtle nesting season begins in Southwest Florida, Fort Myers Beach recovery efforts seven months after Hurricane Ian, F-1 tornado damages Charlotte County farm, Innocent victim caught in the crossfire of downtown Fort Myers shooting, Miracle Monday: Golisano Childrens Hospital incorporates methods to ease ambulance tensions, Florida lawmakers consider bills making Ron DeSantis travel records secret. Utterback began looking for ways for the couple to escape, while Conway tried to keep her head above the water as it rose toward the ceiling, she said. And that hurt." In the video at the top of this page you can still see hard-hit areas that are still months, or even years away from fully recovering. Scientists say too many people still die in hurricanes, despite improved forecasts. A vehicle in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., with a sign that carries the number of hurricane victims. The News-Press visual journalist Ricardo Rolon recently piloted a drone between 50- to 200-feet above southern Sanibel with views of the damaged lighthouse, Lighthouse Beach and the Gulf and river sides of the island.

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