New Hurricane Ian Photos From Fort Myers Beach

Gina Birch

These new hurricane Ian photos from Fort Myers Beach are on the bay side, just before crossing the Matanzas Pass Bridge. San Carlos Blvd is littered with boats. Boats in mangroves, boats on sidewalks, boats on cars.

I went down to this part of the beach community to help one of my best friends look for anything that she could salvage from her parent's mobile home. The drive was narrow and precarious. We creeped along watching trucks loaded with supplies and tools slowly navigating the debris. Business owners were directing clean up. In a neighborhood leading up to our destination, homeowners were busy pulling out clothing and possessions to dry and save.

However, when we pulled over just a a couple of blocks down, it was eerily quiet. Looking around, I did not see one person. Nor one home that survived. It was muddy and slippery. The scent in the air was rancid. My friend's family, Peter and Jane Ray, lost everything. We tried to pry open warped drawers in furniture, looking for sentimental and precious items.

Filling a few trash bags with things we thought we could save, we departed, in silence.

Her parents are now have a suitcase full of clothing and a few trinkets left from their decades of living. What do you do next? Where do you go? How do you start over? The sadness, the loss is profound.

Hurricane Ian photos from Fort Myers Beach and what's next

The cleanup is underway in Southwest Florida but there is a long road ahead. If you suffered flood damage and do not have insurance, do not delay in filling out a claim with FEMA.

These new hurricane Ian photos from Fort Myers Beach mostly show where big boats ended up. However, you'll also see a few photos from the mobile home park off of Main Street that was decimated.

Here are some more...

Pictures Of Fort Myers Beach In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Ian

Fort Myers Beach is absolutely destroyed. Our entire Southwest Florida area is reeling from Hurricane Ian. Most of us are without power and internet. We have limited cell and text messaging available. Many of you reading this are from outside of our area, so if can help:

How To Help Those Impacted By Hurricane Ian

We are currently live and taking phone calls and texts 98.1 FM, 106.3 FM, and 96.1 FM. You can also steam via the B103.9, 96K-Rock, ESPNSWFL, and Sunny1063 apps. To hear the broadcast in Spanish, tune to 99.3 fm or via the Playa99.3 app.

Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, an island off the coast of Fort Myers, just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday. With Ian, came 150 mph winds, the fifth-strongest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. According to ABC News, "Ian then made a second landfall 90 minutes later, still as a Category 4 storm with 145 mph winds, just south of Punta Gorda, near Pirate Harbor."

While the efforts to restore Fort Myers Beach will be a years long recovery, our whole area is suffering greatly. The causeway to Sanibel collapsed and the docks sustained heavy damage, making the island only accessible by helicopter. There's some areas where we don't even know yet the extent of the damage.

We will rebuild. But this is going to take a long time.

Hurricane Ian Slams Into West Coast Of Florida

FORT MYERS BEACH,FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 29: In an aerial view, a damaged Fort Myers Beach pier and surrounding buildings are seen after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area causing severe damage. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)