"Post hurricane Ian keep in mind Florida and barrier islands" Topic

My wife's family has spent vacations on Sanibel Island since she was a child. We've had a couple weeks of timeshare on the beach for the past 8 years, and both the island and its people have taken a special place in my heart.

Hurricane Ian has laid waste to the entirety of Sanibel and the other barrier islands. Sanibel is such a special place whose residents care so much about the environment there…it breaks my heart.

Please send whatever prayers and intentions you can to all the folks in Florida, especially on Sanibel and the other barrier islands.

Indeed! Thoughts and prayers, my friend, thoughts and prayers

Thanks for the kind thoughts. My wife belongs to a private Facebook group of Sanibel property owners, and there's at least some good news. Search and rescue is already underway, and it looks like many structures made it through, though they are heavily damaged. Some parts of the island more or less got washed right over and away.

We own at a place called Casa Ybel, right on the southern point of the island. We haven't yet seen any images, but are ready for the worst. So long as people and environment have lived through it, the rest will come with time.

A coworker told me that his friend's condo is just completely gone.

The causeway is washed away in several places. Pine Island causeway breached too. Saw a video of a friend's condo in Ft. Myers Beach – water up to the 1st floor ceiling.