FORT MYERS, Fla. — It has been said time heals all wounds. But how much time is hard to measure when time seems to be standing still.
I recently went back to Fort Myers to revisit the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Ian. I was just here 6 months ago, so I checked back in with the people I met then to see how they’re doing one full year after the storm hit.
One woman I met was Lisa, who was living in an RV after her home was leveled. I asked her how things have been going since we last talked.
“You know, there are days when it feels like we made a ton of progress. And then there’s days that feels like, gosh, what have we really gotten done in the last 365 days,” said Lisa. She added, “I didn’t think we’d get used to it, but we have. So, you know it’s a way of life at this point.”
I then asked her if she was surprised by how much she has been able to piece back together in this time.
“Probably surprised; obviously, you saw the aftermath of Ian, right? It was terrible. So, you know, if you really think of the scalability of how quick we did get a lot of stuff taken care of. It's pretty impressive. But then, like I said, there's days it feels like things have moved so slowly.”
Across the street from Lisa is Scott’s house. It is just a memory of what was, with a garage. Since I last saw Scott, he has made significant progress on repairs but said he is running out of money. Both he and Lisa told me they’re battling with their insurance companies and now FEMA.
“They keep on wanting you to buy more insurance and more insurance. And all the money I am spending on insurance, I could be working on my house,” said Scott.
“It's exhausting, mentally, physically, all of it. But it's just, I guess, part of the process. Unfortunately,” said Lisa.
When I worked in the Fort Myers area, I would just escape for the day and enjoy the beach. And it was like whatever was on the other side of the bridge was happiness.
But these days, happiness needs a little imagination.
A year ago, the water’s edge was a 15-foot storm surge that cut through the community and left a trail of damage. My photographer Josh Whitston and I drove through the same neighborhoods where debris blocked off access.
A year later, the roads are now open, but many of the businesses are not. Some homes are fine, while others are still waiting for money, work, and time.
But what you don't see is what is happening all under the surface. It's the negotiation between how much of Fort Myers Beach is going to stay and how much of it will be paved over and rebuilt. What people will stay, and who can come and go.
Meanwhile, on Sanibel Island, hope is being delivered every day. And when I was there, I ran into Billy, who I first met six months ago.
Then, he was delivering bikes to people who lost their cars and everything in Hurricane Ian. But now he is dropping off new AC units at a local church. A man who lost so much and is still giving back to the community he loves.
“The community has to come together, and that’s what makes Sanibel so unique,” said Billy.
When I asked him how he measured the progress being made here on Sanibel Island, his answer was simple.
“It's not one. It's a combination of different things. If you just want to look all good, paint new paintings on the building well. That's great for what's happening inside the building,” explained Billy.
What is happening in Southwest Florida is a story that's still in the making. A story that's still very much incomplete as they continue to do work a full year after Hurricane Ian.
But the one thing that is here is hope. There is a brighter future on its way to the people and the places of Southwest Florida.