", For residents, elected officials and developers, Hurricane Ian has given them almost a clean slate in deciding what kind of community Fort Myers Beach will be. What will the new Club Orient look like? After Hurricane Ian, many people wondered how Sanibel and its Causeway would come back and how long would it take? That's no longer the case. Unfortunately, the area has been stricken by Hurricane Irma, and not much has been rebuild. Daytona Beach December 30, 2022. Two died on the Dutch side, according to the prime ministers office. Concessions are open, and although the gate area is cramped and often overcrowded if a flight is delayed, everyone I saw kept their tempers in check and their humor intact. Ron DeSantis is supporting legislation aimed at propping up the state's troubled insurance industry. MARCH 1, 2023: Aerial photos show damage on Fort Myers Beach caused by Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in late September 2022. Keep public media strong anddonatenow. Along the South Texas Coastal Bend, heavy rains this week have brought major flooding, and concerns about drinking water supplies to cities including Corpus Christi, Port Aransas and Rockport. After a wet and active week, Monday begins a much more calm and dry stretch for this work week. In a town that had some 6,000 year-round residents, people here estimate that only a third or less have been able to return since the storm. hide caption. Meteorologists say some Ms. Feucher said she was trying to get the population to take the long view in these matters: that getting the rebuilding right, even if it takes time, could save lives in the next big storm. ", "Twenty months ago, the room we're standing in had been ripped apart by the high winds and rain," Chun said. It will change because everybody's going to have to build up because FEMA requires that now. How do you think Fort Myers Beach should spend its share of $1.1 billion. This church was destroyed by Hurricane Ian's 150 mph winds and a wall of water that pummeled the island in September 2022. Six months after Hurricane Ian walloped Southwest Florida, the recovery is slow and uneven. A pool surrounded by wrecked bungalows in Marigot on Sept. 10 and the same pool filled with sand on Feb. 28. But Ms. Feucher conceded that persuading people to accept new regulations is no easy task. The boutique Read more Maho Village Close to the International Airport, the Maho area's most famous attraction is the beach at the end of the runway. Yet, to this day, the grocery store chain has yet to say when theyre officially reopening. Many of us living by the sea, we know the risk, said Marie Abner, 48, who has lived in the neighborhood since she immigrated from Haiti as a child. With the help of a developer, he hopes his rebuilt church complex will include workforce housing. The consensus view on both sides of the island is that the Dutch half has recovered more quickly. We'd really like to see that school come back on the island. "That's no longer the case. Plane landings at Princess Juliana Aiport come in low over Maho Beach. Well in this small world, people want to know when Publix will be open.. Fort Myers Beach was one of the hardest hit areas. Like the story of Trace Tillo, who had one leg and had to get out of his house surrounded by water and debris before signaling for help. A collapsed home south of Toronita Avenue Beach Park in Wilbur-By-The-Sea, Fla., Friday, December 2, 2022. I saw boarded-up homes and businesses and rusted hulls of yachts along shore lines. ", Jim Atterholt, vice mayor of Fort Myers Beach, stands in front of Chapel By the Sea. ", Like most buildings on Fort Myers Beach, Atterholt's home is unlivable. People go for a swim in Mexico Beach. But to qualify for $100 million in federal grants, he says Mexico Beach had to take steps to harden the city and require new construction to be able to withstand hurricane-force winds. After buying Seabourn Odyssey, Japanese cruise line to put focus on U.S. River lines put more sports-related cruise options in play, Returning to St. Maarten/Martin, 20 months after Hurricane Irma, IGLTA conference is returning to an LGBTQ-friendly Puerto Rico, Challenges ahead for Caribbean tourism, CHTA survey says, Caribbean tourism outlook: Very good and getting better, Celebrity chef's visit inspires a dining series at Pineapple Beach Club Antigua, Anguilla is out to improve first impressions, Rays of 'Sunshine' brighten Puerto Rico's tourism outlook for 2023, Leaders gathering in Jamaica to take on tourism's challenges. On the French side, some believe their patience will pay off with a more resilient island, better able to withstand the effects of the Atlantics warming waters. He says, "Our push for that is that we can get kids into those apartments that then funnel (them) into the school system. Can you drink tap water If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Downtown Philipsburg, the capital of Sint Maarten. Greg Allen/NPR However, Publix has yet to confirm that this is true.. It is vital for our tourism product.". "On the front of the church," he says, "you see this beautiful pristine stained-glass window that was perfectly untouched. A police sergeant with the Golden Beach Police Department is recovering after being shot overnight Saturday during a pursuit of two suspects in a stolen vehicle, authorities said. But those newer homes that were built more structurally sound they fared amazingly well. The damaged bathrooms have been removed. But do they? As Irma rumbled ashore, Ms. Carty, her daughter and two grandchildren dove for cover under a mattress and rode out the storm as it mauled her island. We are right back there at the top of the market, and it's still climbing.". PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hurricane Ian: A birds eye view of SWFLs recovery one month later. "And we also made some differences in elevation. Its wonderful all the things youre doing, but talk to us.. Immediately after the storm blasted the island, President Emmanuel Macron of France promised a speedy recovery for the French side. A street full of debris in Orient Bay on Sept. 7, after the passage of Hurricane Irma. Since last September, the store has been shuttered after Hurricane Ians winds tore the building apart and storm surge flooded the place. ", Doster's home was flooded and he's doing the repairs himself. Pastor Shawn Critser says with the help of a developer, the rebuilt church complex will include workforce housing. As with many places in the Caribbean, the economy is over-reliant on a single industry tourism for jobs and tax revenue. It's now cleaner as of Feb. 27. Building materials need to be brought in by ship or plane, increasing costs. It would be an understatement to say they went on a mission. Grant Brown, a spokesman for the city of Gulf Shores, said damage was a lot worse than our initial thoughts, and theres still a lot of work to be done. climate change has made hurricanes more destructive. But with the hurricane, Critser says, for better or worse, opposition to redevelopment has melted away. Buildings will now have to be elevated to protect them from flooding in future storm events. We write about Florida beaches on every coast. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. "Thanks for coming," he said. I have called every corporate communications number I could find on the website. Photo Credit: Gay Nagle Myers. All Rights Reserved.301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ Cranes, bulldozers and construction gear still line the periphery, but the welcome I got upon arrival from the immigration officer was genuine, warm and appreciative. Seriously, whenever you say that, it still gives me chills, Councilmember Holly Smith said. This scene of utter destruction in the aftermath of a Category 5 hurricane was not in the Abaco Islands or on Grand Bahama, devastated by Dorian last month. They are so small that almost every human being on the island is directly impacted, said Tahseen Sayed, the World Bank country director for the Caribbean. Why hasnt any work been done? "Individual houses (are) coming back tenfold," Wood says. Thats the strength and weakness of France, Ms. Feucher said. 07070 USA Telephone: (201) 902-2000. "And I've talked to two that have had a positive outcome. More than a week after Hurricane Ian, the shock of what's ahead settles in for people, One Florida community built to weather hurricanes endured Ian with barely a scratch, Florida's property insurance market was already under stress. That could be a model for Fort Myers Beach. The Dunlawton beach access in Daytona Beach Shores is now open for beach driving. Recovery has been slow in places like Puerto This week, major flooding is threatening that recovery. So people like Keith Isaacson could sit down and enjoy a good meal again. Six months after Hurricane Ian walloped Southwest Florida, the recovery is slow and uneven. He expects hotels and condos will be open and the town will be ready for Spring Break in 2024. And they said notice Im limping, and Ive got all these heavy bags. I knew I'd be seeing a lot of change on the island, but I was heartened that the landing pattern was still the same. Joseph Bautista is on the road to recovery after being shot twice in the arm during a chase in connection to a As with two competitive siblings close in age, just about everything that happens on one side demands comparison with the other. Six months later, the wall remains broken. Florida Gov. We love our Publix. It's the first major business to reopen here since the storm. Its up to about 8,000 a day, Marcus Preece, general manager of Cielo, said. Both federal and local officials are urging patience with the recovery. Were hoping that this influx of the water into the bay doesnt damage the structure of that bridge, Rios said. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. Few communities in the U.S. have seen the level of destruction Hurricane Ian brought to Fort Myers Beach. There was about 5,500 cars coming on the island. My arrival was just as I remembered from previous visits. We didnt know it could take months, it could take a year we didnt have a timeline, really, Councilmember Smith said. Mostly sunny skies and lower humidity for Monday, Tornado touchdown confirmed in Charlotte County, Law stopping hate acts signed by DeSantis, Fort Myers Beach recovery efforts seven months after Hurricane Ian, Downtown Jewelry & Watch Co. in Fort Myers continues Hurricane Ian recovery, Lee County community standing strong after Hurricane Ians devastation. Join TravelAge West and severalAlaskapartners for a three-part series exploring all the incredible possibilities https://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Insights/A-return-to-St-Martin. Status: All clear. The wounds from the 2017 hurricane season were still too fresh. Greg Allen/NPR Atterholt is living temporarily in one of those newer homes. In the last two weeks, a Publix spokesperson said theyre working on reopening. A police sergeant with the Golden Beach Police Department is recovering after being shot overnight Saturday during a pursuit of two suspects in a stolen vehicle, authorities said. "But I don't think it will be like Miami," he says.

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