October 9th, 2022, the first day Fort Myers Beach residents were allowed back on the island after the storm.
What they saw when they came over the bridge, a sight that always brought a huge smile to their faces, made them cry.
When you watch the video now, and see that destruction then, you can see how far we’ve come in 4 months. WATCH.
My wife and I returned the Friday after the storm and never left. As it is said, “A man’s castle is his home”, and they couldn’t force us to leave but the requirement was to stay sequestered in the house. No problems there.
I do want to thank the many public servants for carrying out their duties in protecting lives and property. In all of the mayhem created by this tragedy, I can easily see God’s presence in our trials. Remember… we all live to die another day.
I was here for the storm, left via National Guard troop carrier 4 days later. The boulevard had been scraped but the only other action was search, rescue and recovery. No one else was allowed on the island. I cried all the way from Santini to the drop-off point at base of bridge. The destruction and devastation was unimaginable. It’s still bad but is 1000 times better than that day. So many folks have given so much in terms of time, labor and money. Every minute and every dollar make a difference and we are so thankful. We rejoice in every small advance – each business that opens, having a post office – and look forward to the continued progress as our beautiful community comes back to life.
I can’t watch.
I thought I was done crying, but that video has brought back the tears. Still lots of work to be done, but we are headed in the right direction. Good luck to everybody trying to rebuild. ❤️