Kira McAuliffe

Sanibel’s beautiful island before being hit by category 4 Hurricane Ian

A formerly pretty island with beautiful beaches and shops is now cut off from the mainland of Florida and in pieces after Hurricane Ian hit. 

Category four Hurricane Ian, originally forecasted as heading towards Tampa, changed direction and landed on Sanibel and Captiva Island on September 28. 

With winds reaching up to 150mph, it’s just seven mph short of being a category five hurricane. The water levels also reached a height of 7.21ft from the storm surge. 

The island is now unrecognizable. Every home was damaged in some way or another from the storm and many are completely gone. 

As of now, Hurricane Ian has killed at least 125 people. Around 120 Florida residents and five North Carolina residents have been reported dead. Many causes of those deaths were due to drowning.

President Joe Biden flew down to Florida to assess the damages done. He received an aerial tour of Fort Myers to see the damage inflicted on Sanibel Island. After seeing the damage firsthand, the President and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared that they will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the people of Florida get what they need to fully recover.  

The causeway to Sanibel has been destroyed in many parts, leaving it undrivable, which cuts off access to resources, making  recovery harder. Electrical poles, wastewater systems, transmission lines, and debris remain scattered across the island.

Once access is gained to the Island again from a temporary bridge, supplies will be more accessible, but until then, the power companies are predicting a month or so until power is restored completely. They hope to complete a temporary bridge by the end of October. 

Julie Emig and Vicki Paskaly, residents of Sanibel, returned to their dream home one week after the storm hit. Luckily their house was still standing, but the bottom level was unlivable. The floors were slippery with sludge, bins filled with water as high as 5ft up, fridges ended up on top of counters, and the kitchen island was on its side. Although a lot was destroyed on the island, Emig was hopeful, ”Sanibel’s full of a lot of hard working people who care about the island and we’ll be back, Sanibel will be back” she said.

After hearing the hurricane was headed towards Tampa, Lorraine Regan opted to stay on the island and prepare the best she could. She filled the tub with water, secured her belongings, and took shelter in her two-story condo. 

As the hurricane hit, she realized she should have evacuated, but there was nothing she could do. Water started gushing in from all sides, and she was knee-deep in it before she rushed upstairs and called her family. 

With the awful sounds of the storm hitting and it not slowing down, she knew she had no option other than waiting it out and praying for the best. 

In the morning, Regan and her dog Lola remained safe, and she began assessing damages. As she looked out the bathroom window, she saw nothing but destruction. “It was unbelievable with all the trees down, all the power lines down, boats on properties, and mud was everywhere,” Regan mourned.

Her main concern at the time was letting her family know she was safe. She found a white hand towel and red marker to write on and hold up. After getting out of the house, she had no service until she climbed onto one of the standing parts of the causeway. 

There she could text her children, letting them know she was fine. She was rescued off the island but all she could think about was how lucky she was to have survived during that time. 

Those lucky enough to have lived or visited the island know how beautiful it was. Although it may take some time, the island will be functioning again, and everyone will work together to make it happen.