Ian

Hurricane Ian hit exactly where we live in Southwest Florida. When I say it hit us, let’s be clear this wasn’t simply about the wind or rain you normally attribute to a hurricane; it’s about a storm surge (i.e. flooding) that his town has never seen before.

It was devastating, and it took many lives, some are still missing. It will likely take 5-10 years to rebuild this area. You’d have to see it to believe it. Many, if not most, of my neighbors are now homeless. The insurance companies are showing their true colors, same as FEMA and other agencies, and people are not getting the help they need.

A number of local businesses that make their living from tourism, like restaurants and hospitality are no longer in business. Employers are laying people off left and right. The beaches are closed; the water is polluted; wildlife is displaced; red tide is moving in. Boats and cars are in the river, on the roads, sideways, upside down, and ruined. The area looks like a dirty bomb went off. Streets are lined with mounds and mounds of sand and debris. Looters lurk at night; police cruisers are everywhere. Roofs, swimming pools, homes, boats, docks, yards, vegetation, trees, seawalls, everything you can imagine has been baptized by the salt waters, and eventually, they too will be destroyed over time. The bridge to Sanibel Island, a popular tourist destination, collapsed with no way to get there. Electric vehicles have been exploding all over the place. Some streets are positively post-apocalyptic. 

I have never seen anything like this in my life. It has exposed how vulnerable we are when disaster strikes.

The reason why I explain all this, even though you probably saw it on the news, is because as time passes, and the news cycle moves on, and life goes on, people forget! But, just because you don’t see it on TV or online anymore, doesn’t mean this has been resolved or that people have gotten the help they deserve, or that this community has healed. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Many of you have been to Florida to vacation here. Please give to the Red Cross Southwest Florida. Give to our local food bank. Give to any legitimate relief effort than you can. I’m asking that you consider directing some of what you spend on yourself on a daily basis to instead help others in need, if you can. Come to Florida and help if you can. We still need it.

Please don’t forget our community after this disaster. Thank you.