When Hurricane Ian made landfall on South Florida’s West Coast in 2019, it caused widespread destruction. The hurricane’s devastation was particularly pronounced in the Fort Myers area. Among the many houses destroyed was the house belonging to Meagan Brown’s grandparents.
Hurricane Ian hit the Fort Myers area two years ago, causing devastating damage to neighborhoods. Since then, communities have needed to rebuild their homes, with little help from the government. Photo Credit: Pixels
Brown’s grandparents live on Sanibel Island, a relatively small island connected to Fort Myers by one bridge. The island is known for its beaches and lots of seashells as the Gulf tides help gather them.
Hurricane Ian made landfall on Sept. 28, 2022, as a Category 4 hurricane which made it one of the most destructive hurricanes to ever hit Florida with 149 deaths reported, with a damage estimate of approximately $67 billion which ranks the hurricane fifth in terms of damage in U.S. history.
“Their house was almost completely flattened after the hurricane. They had to tear the whole thing down and rebuild it,” Brown said.
Not only Brown’s grandparents, but the communities around Fort Myers have needed rebuilding and reparation. Roadwork and reconstruction of buildings have been ongoing since the hurricane made landfall.
“The bridge that connects Sanibel Island to Fort Myers broke in half. None of the people that lived on the island could go back to see what their houses looked like, and the couple of people that stayed on the island had no water or electricity for a long time,” Brown said.
Brown said no clear instructions were given from the local government for evacuation before the hurricane made landfall. Her family decided to evacuate their home on the mainland of Fort Myers after they found out on the news that the hurricane had turned at the last second in the direction of their area.
Her grandparents had already evacuated Sanibel Island and were staying at Brown’s family’s house in Fort Myers when they all realized the hurricane was going to hit both Brown’s and her grandparents' house.
“My whole family stayed at a hotel for two weeks and we tried to get back to our house, but the roads were shut down as our neighborhood was completely flooded except for a couple of houses, including ours,” Brown said.
Megan Houston, director of Palm Beach County’s Office of Resilience, said sea level rise and hurricanes exacerbate challenges for infrastructure and road systems which give challenges for people to get to work and school.
The Office of Resilience focuses on climate resiliency to prevent, respond to and recover from disruptions caused by climate change. Houston explained South Florida has a resilience and vulnerability assessment action plan that identifies transportation facilities vulnerable to flooding from storms and sea level rise.
When the roads opened up after the storm, Brown’s family was relieved that their house had not been flooded. However, Brown’s grandparents could not return to their home for several months. Brown said they eventually found people with boats that took her grandparents to the island to check on their house.
“When they arrived, they saw their house flattened and completely destroyed. It was definitely hard for them especially because they have lived there for so long and all the things they have ever owned and all the memories were gone,” Brown said.
Once it was decided that they had to rebuild the house, Brown’s grandparents were not given the help they needed. Her grandparents' house had not been up to the current codes and permits, which made it hard for them to understand how their new house had to be built.
The City of Sanibel changed its construction guidelines in 2021 to the 2020 7th Edition Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Fuel/Gas, Energy Conservation & Accessibility Codes and the 2017 National Electric Code. Since Brown’s grandparents' house was more than 20 years old, it had not been built with the same codes.
The year after the hurricane was complicated because everyone on the island was trying to figure out what to do with their houses. It took Brown’s grandparents months to find contractors that would help them and get the process moving. Her grandparents had to find the permit information themselves and make sure the construction of the new house was up to date with the City of Sanibel’s regulations and rules.
“They did not receive any help from the local government specifically. It was their responsibility to figure out everything,” Brown said.
Eventually, Lee County was able to assist its residents affected by the hurricane with the Federal Emergency Management Agency programs that included temporary housing and funding to support the repair and replacement of old residences. FEMA assistance, together with other resources of help for residents, started to be discussed two months after the hurricane. But the county still had to prepare an action plan a year after the hurricane to explain where to spend the money they received after the hurricane.
Around three months after Hurricane Ian hit Southeast Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced help with funding to repair homes and provide shelter. Before that, the residents affected by the hurricane were forced to figure out housing and reparations themselves.
According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, a division that plans for and responds to natural and man-made disasters, the first help from the government was on Nov. 28, 2022, when Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the Unite Florida Recovery Portal that helped connect Floridians impacted by Hurricane Ian to recovery resources. The program provided sheltering and repairs for households.
Before any help was available from the government, Brown’s grandparents had lived with her family for several months and wanted to start the process of rebuilding their house.
“My grandparents had to pay for most of the rebuilding themselves. Eventually, they got some assistance and coverage from their insurance but initially, it was up to them.” Brown said.
Now after two years since Hurricane Ian made landfall and destroyed the majority of Sanibel Island, Brown said her grandparents are more aware of the fact that they live in a very hurricane-prone area. She said they are prepared for at least one hurricane next year, even if it will not be as bad as Ian was.
“This has definitely opened their eyes to what can actually happen. It is scary when you experience it firsthand,” Brown said.
Brown’s grandparents could not be reached for comment due to their advanced age.
By Hedda Jarhall
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