During last year’s hurricane season, the southwest Florida region was struck by Hurricane Ian, which changed the vacation destination forever.
Hurricane Ian, unfortunately, was the deadliest hurricane in Florida since 1935 and has proven to be the third most costly storm recorded in the past ten years. It made its way to Southwest Florida on September 28, 2022.
The damage caused the island to look like what many residents called “an unrecognizable wasteland”. The storm left hundreds of residents homeless and desperate for government assistance.
Picture taken on October 18th, 2022 by Wendy Walker
Unfortunately, many houses in the Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach area were ground-level houses, consequently enduring the brunt of the storm.
One house on Sanibel belonging to a local family was completely flooded, just barely filling to the top of the inside ceiling.
(Walker residence living room after Hurrican Ian, taken by Wendy Walker)
This family and their lives were forever changed by this devastating storm.
According to 10-year- resident Wendy Walker, the storm crippled her family’s business and created chaos for all residents. She spoke about how her entire house and its contents were destroyed and corroded by the mucky water that entered the house during the storm.
After a whole year, many residents who lost their homes to Hurricane Ian have finally begun to move into their beloved homes. The Walker family, as well as dozens of other residents, have finally returned to their home. The house will never be the same for these residents, but after a year of displacement, they have few complaints.
Many older houses in Sanibel are ground level beach houses, which is problematic when there is a hurricane like Ian. As illustrated in the picture below, these ground level houses were filled with water nearly to the ceiling, leaving little items to be salvageable. This left residents both without a home and without their possessions, besides what they brought with them when evacuating.
When residents were allowed to go on Sanibel, which was heavily restricted, they had to take a boat to specific beaches on the island. During this period of time, the three bridges leading to the island had become unstable, leaving one with a gap. Various groups were there to support locals as they investigated the aftermath of the storm.
Finally, after a year, Sanibel is beginning to return to “normal.” Many residents have been able to move back into their homes or relocate. However, tourists in the area are minimal due to the construction of the causeway, the loss of restaurants and sights, and the lack of beach accessibility after the hurricane.
Here are some additional pictures captured by Wendy Walker shortly after Hurricane Ian.
Above is a infographic made by the purple tide: https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fchantillynews.org%2F11374%2Fnews%2Fnatural-disasters-leave-behind-devastating-legacies-encourage-community-awareness%2F&psig=AOvVaw3J3cyMLctgBaCFnZOLWa3w&ust=1701450168137000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBIQjRxqFwoTCJDL7fiZ7IIDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE