In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, a tight-knit coastal community in Fort Myers is coming to grips with devastation at their doorstep 鈥� and is working together to rebuild.
鈥淚 was told my car was under water,鈥� Marilyn Meir, a Fort Myers resident, told CTV National News. 鈥淲ell, I wasn鈥檛 told it was on top of my bike also.鈥�
Meir鈥檚 property was one of the many damaged by the category-four storm, which residents claimed was the worst they鈥檝e ever encountered.
Meir鈥檚 neighbourhood of mobile homes, which one resident called their own little 鈥渙asis,鈥� is now ravaged with ripped-up roofs, torn-up awnings, and the stench of flood water. Debris has been scattered along the coast, rendering what was once a paradise into a place of destruction.
Darwin Anderson, another Fort Myers resident, said he 鈥渄idn鈥檛 think he was going to make it at one time,鈥� as the storm rattled his community.
Pieces of wood from someone鈥檚 front porch ended up on Anderson鈥檚 pick-up truck, and pieces from someone else鈥檚 porch ended up at the back of his house, he told CTV National News.
Peter Don, a Canadian from southern Ontario who is also a resident of the Fort Myers community, says he鈥檚 determined not to give up.
鈥淚 want to cry. That鈥檚 all,鈥� said Don, who arrived to help with clean-up efforts and salvage what鈥檚 left of the broken paradise. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to let my house go.鈥�
Once the storm alleviated, community members like Don jumped into action, delivering dehumidifiers, generators, and repair equipment. But much work is still needed, especially for those with not much left to save.
鈥淸Hurricane] Ian took everything,鈥� said Janie Meir, another Fort Myers community member. 鈥淚t took out the whole park. We got out just in time. Our place is done. We got to start all over.鈥�
Amidst all the destruction and despair, however, residents could be seen pushing wheel-barrels of debris and distributing supplies to neighbours, determined to rebuild.
