Sanibel Island, A Popular Tourist Destination, Devastated By Hurricane

The travel to Sanibel Island is 1 of trepidation. It's politician Holly Smith's archetypal look astatine the harm since she evacuated earlier hurricane Ian's vicious onslaught of Florida's southwest coast.

"This was a analyzable tempest due to the fact that we could not spot wherever it was going," said Smith. "It turned retired to beryllium the cleanable tempest of everything we've been acrophobic of for decades."

Sanibel is lone reachable present by aerial oregon boat. Hurricane Ian washed ample portions of its causeway span away.

"Our land is simply a jewel. People travel from astir the satellite to spot our island," said Smith. 

It's a tourist destination which besides draws lovers of quality who person made it a home, similar Eden Sherman. 

"We moved for the nature, for the wildlife. It's stunning, perfectly stunning, the beaches, the oversea shells. So peaceful. It volition instrumentality years to get backmost to normal," said Sherman. 

Sherman's location is surrounded by surging tempest water. She waited it retired nervously with her dogs, conscionable similar Michele and Whitey Herman, who got their six corgis to higher crushed successful their house. 

"We took the highest crushed we could, up connected the room antagonistic with 1 of those excavation floats. Had them each leashed and were readying if we had to interval retired the beforehand door," said Whitey. 

Newsy's John Mone was allowed aboard a ferry that was getting residents disconnected the island, connected the information that helium could not permission to look connected adust land. But adjacent the presumption from the vessel showed signs of the devastation. 

The land of conscionable nether 7,000 is simply a microcosm for southwest Florida's post-hurricane problems — nary water, nary powerfulness and nary passable roads is making the occupation hard for rescuers. 

"The hunt and rescue is connected arsenic we speak. We spell to everyone successful need. We are going to get done this," said Sheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County. 

But for present the roadworthy guardant is simply a dilatory moving exodus from a paradise lost.

On committee the ferry with Mayor Smith, Newsy learned of 2 confirmed fatalities connected to the storm. That fig whitethorn summation successful the coming days.