HURRICANE IAN: 6 Months Ago Today

It was 6 months ago today that my ISLAND HOME was decimated by Hurricane Ian. I watched all the coverage I could the morning of September 28th as the monster storm blew ashore. It started with young adults playing in the roaring surf under the Fort Myers Beach Pier around 11. By the time the water receded later that day, the pier was GONE! So too was the beach plaza known as Times Square...and much of the rest of the 7-mile barrier island.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/hurricane-ian-relief-6month-post-disaster

The videos of the immediate aftermath were both shocking and horrifying. Homes that were 10-feet off the ground were ripped from their pilings. Long-loved beach establishments were wiped from their foundations, like Junkanoo and The Beach Pub. My "family" ran the Beach Baptist Church (blue roof, above). It, too, sat well above the ground, but the facade was ripped away and storm surge ravaged the entire property, coming right up to the front door of their elevated residence. Thank God they all survived!
https://www.gofundme.com/f/hurricane-ian-relief-6month-post-disaster

Sections of the island were unrecognizable. Media outlets around the world kept zooming in on Red Coconut RV park and the massive pile of debris that were once people's retirement homes or beach getaways. That image, alone was shocking enough, but the storm surge, as it rose above 8-foot live stream cameras, just carried away everything in it's path. I watched the beach Hooters go floating down Estero Blvd before falling apart. Not two blocks from where I once lived, beachside cottages were picked up and slammed against homes on the other side of the street (photos above). Whole blocks were wiped clean to the grayish sand. It was unbelievable devastation.

I'm starting a GoFundMe Campaign to help in this time, six months post-storm, when nobody is paying attention to Fort Myers Beach. Funds will go directly to help those in need. I'll be working hand-in-hand with my family at Beach Baptist, where we used to run a food pantry every other week, the only one on the island. They know where the greatest need is and your donations will help target that need. I will personally be delivering the funds raised here to the island community.

Thank you so much for every dollar or penny you can spare! #FMBStrong