That night, below a shot of sunset, he wrote, Success in your life is a result of self-satisfaction.. Collsons body was found two days later, in the water several hundred feet from where she lived. Make a plan, and prepare for the worst, whether that means leaving town or deciding to stay with friends or family. Hurricane and Tropical Storm Forecasts, News & Updates | Miami FORT MYERS Im so nervous I could throw up, she wrote. One of the places severely damaged by Hurricane Ian was Fort Myers Beach, and seven months later, theres still more to do, but theyve come a long way. Jay spent five months beneath a Fort Myers bridge before buying an old boat. Theresa Conway, Utterbacks fiance who he was set to marry in April, said by the time they realized how bad the hurricane was, so much water was rushing down their street that they couldnt get out not even to cross to their neighbors elevated house. 0:51. They want $800 for me to stay another month, Capt. Last Updated: October 1, 2022, 11:37 PM ET. They say they'll dispose of a property they loved, but which, like so much else on Fort Myers Beach, is now gone forever. Hurricane "It was hard to get in there because the couches and everything floated up, all mixed together. NBC News has identified 148 deaths related to Hurricane Ian in Florida, based on public records obtained from local and state authorities (see the full methodology below). Destruction caused by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach is viewed from the air on Oct. 1, 2022. Do your weekend shopping at Walmart and save big across a ton of categories. Hurricane Irma is the worst hurricane to have hit the Fort Myers-Naples area in recent history in 2017. As Floridians, we just think weve got it. It is also just as important to draw your curtains close at night. A catastrophe modeling company estimates that insured losses will be over $60 billion and total damages may exceed $100 billion. Efforts to convince people to move out of harm's way as a hurricane approaches face many hurdles. We are redoing []. The bodies of Peggy Collson and Michael Verdream were found in Matlacha's canals. I may be in the water by next week.. They included Kristina Peters, 59, who chose to stay with her boyfriend in North Fort Myers, where they lived a baseballs throw away from the Gulf of Mexico. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, many businesses along Fort Myers Beach have put in the work to get their operations back up. Norberg said many homeowners should contact their agents about possibly adjusting the replacement costs of their homes on policies. The guy told him: It hasnt been floating in quite a few years.. NWS Hatchlings from two nests on Big Hickory Island were also disorientated by lights from Fort Myers Beach, Haverfield said. CBS4's Ted Scouten reports on the increasing presence of climate change, and how is making it necessary for us to look differently at hurricanes. After tornado hits Virginia Beach, dozens of homes left damaged Nearly two months after the hurricane, with funerals still being held and the wrecked landscape still being cleared of debris, experts say the disaster should serve as a warning for communities that continue to build homes in places exposed to increasingly powerful storms and a reminder to step up efforts to help the defenseless. In the video at the top of this page you can still see hard-hit areas that are still months, or even years away from fully recovering. She made her way to the kitchen, where she discovered her fiancs body. The Heltons' home is on the back bay in Fort Myers Beach, part of a boating community that's now gone. The spot where Mitch Pacyna's home once stood, and where he died. All the more reason for the Town to pursue getting amber LEDs put in place. Based on those records, NBC News determined an overall count of 148 deaths related to Hurricane Ian and analyzed 119 of those deaths that were caused by the flooding, winds and other dangerous conditions during the storm. His body was found two days after the storm in a canal near his home. Fort Myers News-Press. Destruction caused by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach is viewed from the air on Oct. 1, 2022. Destroyed houses and buildings are visible in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Friday. 'Critical' to check property insurance now as hurricane season nears Sand from Immokalee is getting trucked in. Before the storm season starts, get the supplies you need to board up your home, know your evacuation zone, and plan for the worst. The elevation of the $7.8 million berm will be more than 6 feet and will cover most of the beachside of the island. The vessel was smaller than hed hoped for, but a foot longer than his old one. All rights reserved. Jim asks Basabe about the investigation, as well as his stance on LGBTQ+ rights and abortion. Conway described Utterback, who loved to bring people a smile by dressing up as a pirate, as the kindest, sweetest, big-hearted big kid.. I wish he would have called, said Stacy, who lives in Orlando. Fort Myers Beach He anchored offshore, rowed a dinghy to town when he needed cigarettes. A Miami man is facing serious charges Monday after police said he made threats to kill or harm police officers on social media. The agency uses the maps in public education campaigns around the country before the annual start of hurricane season. Where the newly constructed berm is in place, sea turtles are less likely to reach Estero Boulevard., The Town of Fort Myers Beach is reminding all property owners to be conscientious about the lighting they are installing, Chustz said. They had notice. Fort Myers Beach recovery efforts seven months after Take a walk on the beach to see if your propertys lighting is visible from the beach, and install wildlife friendly lighting now, rather than waiting for warning letters and enforcement citations,, Hatchlings are disorientated by both interior and exterior lights,, Weve documented 14 dead turtles, seven of them on Fort Myers Beach,, Some boat strikes, others, no definitive cause of death., She encountered Hurricane Ian debris that still remains on the beach in nesting habitat at her first attempt to nest. Wreckage outside a residence on San Carlos Island in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Oct. 31. ", Jim says he's also thought about God, the challenge he's been given and whether he's still up to it. Web2005,Oct 24th , Hurricane Wilma comes in approx 40 miles to the south with 125mph winds while moving very quickly NE at 25mph. April 28, But they feel lucky they got a room here after their home was demolished in the storm. Nicole is expected to weaken to a depression early Friday, Additional weakening is forecast while Nicole moves over land. Fifteen of the organizations clients died in Ian. In this CBS Miami special report, we take a look at a whole host of hurricane season topics from above average activity to complacency concerns. Rebuilding. Hurricane Hurricane Ian one month later: Inside Floridas recovery, Overwhelmed medical examiners try to identify those killed by Hurricane Ian, After the storm, an autistic boy and his older brother drowned in a flooded canal. The weekend before Ian hit Florida, forecasters projected that the storm posed the biggest threat to the Tampa area, north of Fort Myers, according to the National Hurricane Center. So that makes the need to prepare for hurricane season even more essential. Early the next morning, Collson began to seriously worry. Lee County officials say they waited to issue the evacuation order until changes in the storms forecast direction put the county in Ians direct path the day before landfall. It seemed like in this one, it was like, OK, tomorrow you gotta get out of here, Yost said. Hurricane The water is rising, she told him. At least here, he thought, no one could make him move. There were 109 loggerhead sea turtle nests recorded on Fort Myers Beach last year, up from 30 when Turtle Time first began tracking the nests. Rent vouchers dont help. He had heeded calls to leave before Irma because the Fort Myers Beach home he was living in at the time looked like it was held together by staples, he said. Scores of people on Floridas southwest coast and others in flood-prone inland areas stayed to face the Category 4 storm or tried to run only when the water began to deluge roads and homes. and last updated 2023-04-26 18:10:08-04. After months of repairs and planning, Publix officials confirmed Friday morning that the Estero Boulevard location is slated to reopen its doors on May 25. Hurricane Lewis Kamb is a national FOIA reporter for NBC News, based in Seattle. Blinds must be shut from 9 p.m. to dawn to protect inside light from being visible from the beach in order to protect nesting sea turtles from disorientations, as well as their hatchlings. Houses floated by. Besides, he has no one to help. Some were rescued by Turtle Time but it is believed many likely perished due to predators, exhaustion, and dehydration. Most local beaches need sand in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Here's On the morning of Sept. 28, officials ordered people who hadnt left to shelter in place, because venturing out could put them at greater risk. Jim and her health aide pleaded with her to change her mind. The storm hit that afternoon. The historic storm surge last fall from Hurricane Ian changed the way coastal risks are viewed. This morning, our Capt. According to Lee County records, the coastline endured wind speeds of 145 mph and storm At 7 a.m., Lee County officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for the countys highest-risk areas. Hurricane Each spring without fail, female loggerhead sea turtles make their way back to Fort Myers Beach after months of swimming hundreds, if not thousands of miles out in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. hide caption. Thirty-three of the Lee County deaths were in the federal governments documented storm surge danger zone; 28 of those were in the most hazardous areas on barrier islands and directly along the coast. Last year, Turtle Time reported that some sea turtle hatchlings were found under condos and houses because the propertys lights disoriented them. Fort Myers Beach slowly recovers six months after According to earlier reports, the building had sustained immense damage from Ian's 155 mph winds and severe 18 feet storm surge, remaining closed since then. But Hurricane Ians toll on vulnerable residents showed the gaps in those efforts. Your nonperishable food items really important to want to make sure that you have that those important documents on hand, flashlights, batteries, making sure all your devices are charged up as much as possible, Giarratana said. Turtle Time has had to deal with a higher number of sea turtle deaths this year than normal, some of which are from boats, others which could be due to several red tide waves and impacts to the water from Hurricane Ian. As wind and water battered her tiny home in the island community of Matlacha, Peggy Collson texted her brother in a panic. The home Michael Yost was renting in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Michael Yost in the bedroom of the damaged home he was renting in Fort Myers Beach, Fla. A downed palm tree in a canal in Matlacha, Fla., on Oct. 31. Carlos Osorio for NPR It was devastated by Irmas winds, but many people in the area had returned to undamaged homes. Local and county officials in southwest Florida, one of the fastest-growing regions of the country, are well aware of the danger. WebFort Myers Beach, FL is in a very high risk hurricane zone. A member of a search-and-rescue team checks a home for victims in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Oct. 3. Like many Floridians, Capt. To prepare for such moments, the National Hurricane Center produces maps that show how bad storm surge can be in any particular place on the U.S. coast. He found a lot on the beach where a house had been destroyed and the owner said he could stay as long as he helped clean up. The order was in response to a change in Ians forecast path, which shifted to the south and put Ian on course for a direct hit on the Fort Myers region. Residents who evacuated and were briefly able to return to their homes are stunned by how little remains. Hatchlings are disorientated by both interior and exterior lights, Haverfield said. "I'm fighting depression. Theyre calling for a season that is just below normal. They amassed donated blankets, bikes and food, formed a makeshift community. An estimated 34,000 people stayed in emergency shelters. WebTropical Storm Gordon, 1994 After a serpentine track through the Caribbean, Gordon moved slow- ly west-northwest, reaching the lower Florida Keys, and then turned northeast, Amber LED light is bright, but it has a wavelength that is long which sea turtles and other nocturnal species, including migratory birds, dont react to. The News-Press visual journalist Ricardo Rolon recently piloted a drone between 50- to 200-feet above southern Sanibel with views of the damaged lighthouse, Lighthouse Beach and the Gulf and river sides of the island. Hurricane Hurricane season 2022 ends; Ian deadliest storm. Why so many The morning the storm hit, Verdream, 66, told his niece Stacy Verdream that he planned to ride it out. It was Ian's storm surge that did the damage. Around 4:30 p.m. that day, Peters called DeMoss in a panic. Trump's last major visit to Scotland was in 2018, while he was still president, sparking a heavy security operation and several days of protests. Hurricane Ian was flooding some areas of Florida's west coast with storm surges that could reach up to 18 feet above ground level as it moved across the peninsula after making landfall Wednesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. National Burrito Day is Thursday, April 6, and some restaurants across the U.S. are joining in the celebration by offering burrito deals. Its important to verify that the spectrum specifications of the bulb indicate 560 nm or greater. In neighboring Charlotte County, where nine people died from Ian, spokesman Brian Gleason said the government conducts a variety of public outreach efforts, including workshops about flood and storm-surge risks for people in high-hazard coastal areas. I never would have dare dreamed to have a hurricane like this hit Fort Myers Beach and for us to be on the worst side possible of it.. Worst Places In FL For Hurricanes | Wrights Window & Door To taste the salty air and hear the wind chiming his sail rigging. She said they were blindsided by the storms ferocity. Nicole's winds had knocked out power to about 330,000 electricity customers and miles of beach erosion. But, its what you need once the winds die down thats extra important. Theresa Conway and Daymon Utterback on the day Utterback proposed. Way Day 2023 has been extended through Friday. The season wound up near normaldespite forecasts for above-average activity, but itwas notablefor the death and destruction wrought by Hurricanes Fiona, Ian and Nicole. To make those arrangements is a little complicated to do at the last minute, he said. A South Florida man is facing serious charges Monday after police said he broke into a home and then exposed himself. The directive expanded throughout the day to include other imperiled areas. Thats why hurricane experts say preparing ahead of time is vital. Jim interviews Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis who was at the White House this week to push for federal assistance for the victims of the historic flooding that ravaged homes and businesses in Broward County. Susan says, "Neither do I much now today. He spent a few slow days carrying everything up the 10-foot ladder onto the deck, then down into the crowded cabin. As each day passes since Hurricane Ian slammed Southwest Florida on Sept. 28, 2022, progress with various recovery efforts continues to be made. The forecasters were comparing Ian to Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm that hit the area in 2004. Eight people rode out the hurricane in a beachside motel. Hurricane 2022: Be Prepared! It demolished his sunroom and opened the house to the elements. Hurricane Ians toll revealed gaps in efforts to protect Florida's most vulnerable residents, an NBC News analysis found, based on death records, flood maps and interviews with survivors, victims' relatives and disaster preparedness experts. Mom, I cant come get you, DeMoss recalled saying. More than a dozen survived the flood itself but suffered life-threatening medical emergencies; by the time the storm finally allowed paramedics through, nine of them had died. Or maybe a boxer. Of those violations, the town issued 44 citations with a total of $19,050 in fines. ", "And the washing machine," his wife Susan adds. I would have gone and picked him up.. 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Lee County will be receiving more than $1.1 billion from the federal government as a boost to continue recovering from Hurricane Ian. It's a blow he's not sure he can recover from. Nobodys ever told me that, said Dunn, who teaches disaster response and management at the University of South Florida. All rights reserved. After a winter of searching for crabs, mollusks and whelks, adult female turtles begin mating this time of year and searching for coastal habitats like Fort Myers Beach to lay their eggs. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent. Take a walk on the beach to see if your propertys lighting is visible from the beach, and install wildlife friendly lighting now, rather than waiting for warning letters and enforcement citations, Chustz advised residents in an email. Days after Disney sued Florida's governor in federal court for what it described as retaliation for opposing the state's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill, members of Disney World's governing board made up of Gov. Photos: This is what Florida looks like after Hurricane Ian, Flooding and closed roads are some of the challenges Florida's people face after Ian. During a storm, you will hear this, especially on social media: Why didnt they just leave? The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season officially ends Nov. 30. Throughout southwest Florida, there are tens of thousands of people displaced by Hurricane Ian with stories like the Heltons. He and his girlfriend made a plan to hop on an air mattress if they needed to make a last-ditch attempt to save themselves. The maps are supposed to help people understand their risk and plan what to do when big storms come and help local governments determine which areas should be evacuated. Property owners are encouraged to be proactive. "It will probably be there for six months or a year," he says, "because so many places have been hit.". Fort Myers News-Press. Ten years ago today, one of the most catastrophic storm events to hit Southwest Florida impacted Fort Myers Beach and those who lived or worked on it. At the second try, she was not pleased with the presence of a palm tree. Haverfield expects that turtle to return soon to find just the right spot somewhere, hopefully on one of the beaches that we monitor.. Tropical Storm Nicole made landfall in the Bahamas shortly before noon Wednesday and is expected to continue its approach to Florida sometime tonight. While Southwest Florida continues recovering from Hurricane Ian, this years hurricane season is a month away. The nesting season lasts through October. If those numbers hold up, Ian would be the fourth costliest hurricane in U.S. history. Turtle time is here | News, Sports, Jobs - FORT MYERS - Beach They are giving out teddy bears to every child who rides with them, aiming to ease ambulance tensions. Haverfield, who lost her home off island in Fort Myers to Hurricane Ian like many others on Fort Myers Beach, said thankfully most of my volunteers have joyfully returned. Last year, there were 109 loggerhead sea turtle nests documented on Fort Myers Beach, Haverfield said. While there have not yet been any sea turtle nests spotted on Fort Myers Beach yet this season, Haverfield said sea turtles have hit the beaches in Captiva and Bonita Beach. Weather Channel meteorologist Reynolds Wolf reports from the Florida Keys to provide weather conditions and preparations. A House plan to eliminate the business-recruitment agency Enterprise Florida and relocate tourism-marketing efforts also would lead to a change in the name of the state Department of Economic Opportunity. Hurricane South Florida Sports Headlines Newsletter. Nigel Chiwaya is the Senior Editor, Data Viz for NBC News Digital. A member of a search-and-rescue team confirms the discovery of a body in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Sept. 30, two days after Hurricane Ian hit Florida's west coast. 1:31 On the morning of Sept. 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cayo Costa, Florida, a barrier island west of Fort Myers in Lee County. Weather officials say they're retiring the names Fiona and Ian from the rotating list of Atlantic tropical cyclone names because of the death and destruction caused by the most recent storms with those names. By the time Peters realized she was wrong, water had already started gushing into her home. The insurance industry in Florida has been battered in recent years by hurricanes in different parts of the state and some companies have failed, while others are raising rates or dropping customers. Ian leaves scenes of recovery, despair on Florida coast Lee County, which took a direct hit from Ian, waited until the day before the storm a day longer than neighboring counties to issue a mandatory evacuation order. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. There is no word yet on new store designs or grand opening details. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. But that calculation is wrong, experts say. Lees has 2,700 people on it. Some had physical or cognitive conditions that made it more difficult for them to seek help before the hurricane arrived, or they chose to stay home because they feared ending up in nursing homes if they sought help, aging services providers said. Some 10,000 people remain in shelters. "We were going to sell [the house] this winter," Jim says. Each of those nests can contain up to 100 eggs. 0:04. View from above: Drone video shows scope of Hurricane Ian 79 hurricanes have been recorded in the Fort Myers Beach, FL since 1930. Further direct disturbances of sea turtles and their nestings could result in federal or state prosecution. Weve documented 14 dead turtles, seven of them on Fort Myers Beach, Haverfield said. We knew it was not a good chance she made it.. But in January, after all 260 closed, hundreds of people were forced onto the streets and into the woods. Scores drowned as they fled on foot, while in their cars or after seawater swallowed their homes. And if you are installing new windows, choose a NFRC light transmittance specification of 30% or less., The Sea Turtle Conservancy recommends Frontier Lighting & Synergy Lighting for lighting fixtures that protect sea turtles, Chustz said. But he only made it as far as Fort Myers. FORT MYERS, FLA. No place in Florida seemed to have suffered more damage from Hurricane Ian than the town of Fort Myers Beach, located on Estero Island along the state's southwest coast. Jay planned, then, to travel to Key West. Seven months to the day after Hurricane Ian completely demolished Fort Myers Beach, another familiar face is set to return to the recovering community. The advisory stretches from Bill Baggs State Park, north to the Venetian Causeway, from the mainland to the west to the beaches on the east. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. Few communities in the U.S. have seen the level of destruction Hurricane Ian brought to Fort Myers Beach. Tom James for WGCU/NPR Daniel Noah, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tampa, said that regardless of the effort by local officials and forecasters, there will be people who dont leave and die because of it. Part of the reason for the difference in numbers each year is that female sea turtles typically lay eggs every other year. That, Jim Helton says, and the boat he found in the middle of his house. As a Category 4 hurricane, Irma caused more than $64 billion in Florida Gov. In the end, Ian may have accomplished what years of education efforts and disaster planning didnt: convince everyone on Floridas southwest coast that hurricanes and storm surges kill. Jay had given up on getting any storm compensation money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Fort Myers Beach ahead of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. They left the island before the storm and stayed with a friend. A member of a search-and-rescue team confirms the discovery of a body in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Sept. 30, two days after Hurricane Ian hit Florida's west coast.
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