Fort Myers Beach Decimated

'Absolute devastation' about sums up the aftermath of Hurricane Ian to my island paradise, Fort Myers Beach (FMB). I posted yesterday about the threat posed to the 7-mile island. Well, it became a worst case scenario. As Ian gained strength over the warm waters of the Gulf, he curved northeastward, nearly imitating the track of 2004's Hurricane Charley. He went right up Charlotte Harbor after decimating Lee County's barrier islands.

The problem for Fort Myers Beach is that they escaped the eye. There was no respite from the winds and waves churned by Hurricane Ian. It was a constant barrage from the approaching eyewall, which first inundated Sanibel to the north. But as the cyclone scooted east, it brought the southeast quadrant of the eyewall over FMB. And once hurricane-force winds were onshore, it never let up. FMB remained in the eyewall even after the storm made landfall. While other areas, like Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte got the reprieve of the eye, FMB did not. It was a constant barrage.

The reported 16-foot storm surge did most of the damage. High winds took care of the rest. It really was absolute devastation. The aerial footage that has come in all day, from drones and helicopters, has shown the breadth of the damage. It's breathtaking. It took me half the day to wrap my brain around it.

The pier is gone (left). Yesterday morning I was watching foolish beachgoers navigate the rough surf under that pier. The downtown area known as "Times Square" along the shoreline at the pier is also gone. The area I frequented, the outdoor plaza where my band played several "sunset festivals," is a mass of debris and empty foundations.

One of the town's councilmen, interviewed on CNN, said, "There's nothing to come back to."

But back is where I was headed. Back to my beach, my happy place, my home.

Now?

Will they rebuild? Will corporate resorts take over the town now?

It's lost all of it's character and small town charm. My favorite beach bars are gone. The locals who staffed them will go elsewhere.

Coast Guard helicopters have hovered over FMB all day looking for those needing airlifted to safety. Everyone's car is flooded, damaged or gone. And even if residents DID have transportation, the roads are impassable. The island is a literal dump heap of debris...and boats...lots of boats.

On the approach to Matanzas Pass Bridge, aerial coverage shows the Shrimp Fleet all piled up on the east edge of the bay. Like toy boats, these large vessels are stacked haphazardly. Besides tourism, the shrimping industry was the other piece of the beach's economic puzzle. Now that's gone, as are all the locally owned businesses.

I'm beginning to believe the councilman is right. There really is nothing to go back to.

 

10 Reasons Why I'm Moving to Belize - #1 BEACH PARADISE

OK, Sports Fans!!! WE'VE ARRIVED AT NUMBER ONE!!! In Top Ten Reasons Belize is on my "retirement radar."

It's like a postcard...every image you see when you Google "Belize Beach" or "Belizean Beaches." Take the above, for example, just three of the images that came up this morning.

IT LOOKS IDYLLIC!!!

Everything that I loved about Fort Myers Beach, FL, just without the hassle of beach traffic, local politics, high rises and all the things wrong with America!

I've known since 2011 I was meant to live at the beach. At my core, I'm a BONAFIDE BEACH BUM, meant to live at a slower pace, a higher frequency and very minimally. Belize offers all of that and more!

Just give me a hammock in the shade of a palm tree with some cold beverage and a book. I'll be content as a clam!

I didn't realize how badly I wanted to escape the toxic (and increasingly violent) political climate of the U.S. The divisive rhetoric reached a crescendo in January 2021 and it's devolved into threats of civil war. Is that what America has come to? Is this the fate of the 200+ year American Experiment? Then COUNT ME OUT!!! (The "American Dream" was never for me, anyway!)

As alluring as The Florida Keys are to me, I'd rather just escape our borders to the safety of a third-world Central American country. I can fly under the radar there, live in my happy place (THE BEACH!) and live as a minimalist in nature. 

There are only 400k people in the tiny country on the Caribbean! And Placencia residents DON'T EVEN HAVE ADDRESSES!!!

What we called "Snowbird Season" in Florida exists there, too. An influx of tourists during the winter months, then the calm after the storm all summer long!

I won't need as much to support myself, so finding work locally should suffice. I'll only be responsible for me, myself and I.

And I can breathe the fresh air of Placencia and fill my lungs with the life-giving sea breezes. I can get back to ME!

After the hellstorm of the last year, that sounds QUITE DIVINE!!!

It's not going to happen immediately. I don't even have a passport, yet. This will be my first adventure across the border...but I CANNOT WAIT!!!

In the near-term, you'll find me recuperating and saving up, getting my affairs in order (including my first-ever passport) and living the beach life in the familiar white sands along the Gulf. But the BEACH IS MY HAPPY PLACE and I intend to get back there.

Belize is a veritable BEACH PARADISE and that's REASON NUMBER ONE I'm moving there!

10 Reasons Why I'm Moving to Belize - #2 English-Speaking

Alright, folks, we've come to the TOP TWO reasons I'm moving to Belize! 

I need to get out of the U.S., but I am unilingual. You'd think after all my years in Florida, I would have learned some Spanish, at least enough to carry on a simple conversation. But, alas, no. I picked up some things here and there, words and phrases, but I never made the effort to learn Florida's second language.

And I didn't have my sights set on Central America. In fact, until recently, I hadn't even considered it as a destination. My sights have been on Fort Myers Beach or The Keys in Florida since living in the former 2011-2014. As I've mentioned previously, and those that know me, know this--THE BEACH IS MY HAPPY PLACE! I've also mentioned other coastal locations, outside the U.S., I had considered, like Cuba or the Bahamas. Those places are outside the contiguous States, but close enough to be a short flight or boat trip away. Heck, people have swum the 90-mile Florida Straits between Cuba and The Keys.

But a big consideration was that I find an English-speaking country. I didn't want to be fish-out-of-water in a Latin American country where I didn't know exactly what was being said. I didn't want the language barrier to cause me confusion or trouble. So I began a search for coastal destinations where English is the primary language.

Two countries that I never even considered came up in the Top 10--Panama and Belize. Nothing about Panama, other than it's proximity to the equator, appealed to me. Belize, being a little closer and a lot less political/military, became my top choice. The fact that it's economy, like Florida, was run on tourism (and the exchange rate is great/easy) was another minor factor.

It actually surprised me that language would be such a big consideration. But I was looking for ease of assimilation and this fact draws a lot of expats from northern countries, like me. I initially looked into Corozal on the northern coast. But a little more digging soon revealed that Placencia is more my speed, though much further south.

These people, diverse as they are, can understand me! I won't struggle so much to fit into this melting pot of cultures, people and dialects. That is a HUGE plus, especially considering a move outside of the comforts of home.

In my last blog post, I recapped the other eight reasons that led me to choose Belize. I won't repeat myself here...but it did surprise me that FOOD did not make the top five. Coffee, sort of an afterthought at #10, would normally rate higher, as well. But ease of assimilation by knowing the "native" language--and Belize was a British colony in my lifetime--is more important than I would have expected. The Bahamas and Cuba, due to their proximity and the former also being ruled by the UK, were other places where assimilation would be easy...but they aren't BELIZE! Also, the corruption in Cuba was a major concern.

And while I've read all the fears about crime in Belize. It is localized and central to southern Belize City where gang activity is high. My sister also worries about traveling through Mexico and the proximity to drug cartels, but as I've told her, I'll simply steer clear. I've done my homework and Belizeans are warm, friendly and welcoming. Even the gangs don't usually target tourists or expats...it's more brown-on-brown crime...and in the city.

I'm sure I'll eventually travel into the city, the main airport is there, and the port for cruise ships, but I will stick to the well-known, well-lit streets...and would probably go with a local who knows the area. But English-speaking Belize IT IS!!!