This video taken of the Times Square/Pier area and north end of Fort Myers Beach gives you the grim picture of the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. This monster storm seems to have unleashed it's fury on the seven-mile strip of beach. A good portion, I can't even venture a guess percentage wise, of the structures have been totally demolished.
This recovery effort is going to take MONTHS! I remember the truckloads of debris taken from the central panhandle after 2018's Hurricane Michael. That storm leveled Mexico Beach. Ian nearly leveled Fort Myers Beach. The removal of debris alone is a MASSIVE undertaking that will not happen overnight. Debris has to be cleared from roadways, so that inches to feet of sand can then be scooped away. Then structures will have to be secured or demolished, depending on the level of damage. Infrastructure will have to be repaired or rebuilt, and all of this will happen simultaneously over the coming months. It will not happen overnight.
That's months just to gain some modicum of normalcy. Businesses may or may not decide to rebuild. The impact on small businesses is HUGE, as is the impact on the shrimping and tourism industries. It could take years to rebound.
I don't know what the future holds for me and my family. I have friends, like family, who run the Baptist church and retreat center on the beach. They've suffered a near total loss. Will they stay and rebuild? That's the question facing so many people, businesses and organizations.
Fort Myers Beach will never be the same.
I'm not sure if I'm going back there. This storm just altered my future.
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