Fort Myers Beach Florida - Walking Tour 

As deeply sobering as this video is, you really need an appreciation of exactly what was there prior to Ian. Specifically, all the merchandise in those stores, the furniture, the windows, the storefronts, the restaurants; everything is completely gone. It looks like a nuclear bomb went off, not a hurricane. This was beyond worst case scenario. Prayers to all in FM and those on the beach.

So far the best video I have watched showing the devistation of Time Square and surrounding areas. My family and I have so many good memories of Ft. Myers Beach, 20+years. My heartfelt sorrow for the loss.

My heart goes out to my hometown. I was on the beach at the end of August with my daughter. Who could have known what was about to happen? FMB will return. It will be different, but it will come back. You can't keep SW Floridians down. Floridians are survivors. The beach will be back. 😘😘😘

My fiancé and I resided in Cape Coral for a little over a year from 2020-2021. We’re now in Illinois but Fort Myers Beach in particular holds near and dear to my heart. I absolutely adored Florida 🌴 This is humbling to see. I pray for and send healing energy to SWFL for the restoration journey ahead. 💕

Ft. Myers was such a beautiful city. With people walking all over and sitting in restaurants. Now it looks like a bomb was dropped. The pier is for the different birds to hang out now. Some palm trees still standing. Amazing how they didn't get ripped out by their roots! Hopefully some day the city will come back to life!

It’s amazing how many palm trees are still standing…they’re very resilient

So sad. Thank you for sharing. Heart breaking.

Thanks for the update on work .let's hope in 30 days a lot more debre has been moved out !

It’s heartbreaking. I lived in Fort Myers, off McGregor Blvd up until mid-July. Fort Myers beach was my Saturday morning meditation and beach walk. Everyone that came to visit me had their picture taken on the big chair outside Nervous Nellies. It’s so sad to see it all just wiped away.

I've been doing business on Ft Myers Beach off and on for the past 20 years to see this and knowing of it's past is beyond heart breaking... 🌴💔 Your documentation was extremely powerful Thank you...

Where are all the little fish you showed us all dead?? And what were they?? My heart sinks when I see all that happened to all of you, nice people. I wouldn't even wish this on my worst enemy. I hope that you made it threw the storm and that you and your family are safe and have a place to stay. This will take many many many years to fix. And even if you fix it up it will never ever be the same. There will be a lot of open spots where homes and businesses once stood. I wish it never happened. Seeing most of Florida gone makes me cry and my prayers go out to the families that lost a loved one I am also praying for the people who lost everything. I hope that you all can stand strong stand together and rebuild the best you can. I hope that you all never give up. It won't be the same but you can make it better and you can all make fun and new memories. I wish you all luck and I will not stop thinking of you all you will be in my prayers for the rest of my life. I am proud you made it threw and I am proud that you guys are not GIVING UP. You should make T-shirts later on that say I serviced Ian or Florida strong cause I would buy at least 5 of them. Sorry for the long comment. It's just hard to see the people and the wildlife lose not only their homes but their food, their jobs, and their way of life. It's hard to know that wildlife didn't stand a chance and that food will be hard for them to find. Animals and people have a lot in common right now. And I know that in time it will get better but until then my heart and soul are broken. Big hugs from Maine. P.S if my message looks strange it is the grammar app I am using

I brought my best friend here in February when we visited my parents in North Fort Myers. I’m down there about 2-3 times a year, this is breaking my heart as I go here to be grounded with the water.

Clean up is going extremely well, Thank You for the Update.

Welcome to the greatest show on earth. What nature does.

Your video is so clear I feel like I'm right there.

Thanks for showing the view of the Gulf and sunset. It's still a sight.

Thank you for filming this though it’s heartbreaking to watch!! The mountains of sand and of debris n rubble; there are no words!!!!🥵😢😭

It is totally mind-boggling to see the destruction this storm caused. Even if there was more time to prepare, it is doubtful the results would be any different. Thank you for this powerful footage.

Spring 2019 was my wife and I,and our two kids first time visiting FMB. We stayed a week and rented a new rental home on Washington ave. We loved it and looked forward to coming back the following year. Covid hit and we did come back down for a quick getaway once things calmed down. Following year we stayed in Manasota key,but made our way up to fm for a day. It was very busy but we still enjoyed it. Hard to explain, but theses will be memories for life. I can’t help feeling emotional when seeing this. Everything seems so messed up lately. It does warm my heart seeing the hard work being done. God bless fort Myers.

All in all another nice heads up for people who may have considered living on a barrier islands. You Tube casting way more light on issues than MSM.

WOW! It will take some time to come back. FMB will come back. God bless the city and surrounding areas.

My question is where will all the rubble, downed trees etc be put to rest?? I can’t even begin to imagine??

We cancelled our hotel reservation there at the time of disaster. So sad we did not travel to the beautiful Fort Myers, but we will soon. I am sure. God bless everyone.

Bin there several times and the last time was just in January of this year. I am feeling very much with all the people suffering from this disaster and wish you all a lot of strength and patience to rebuild.

I love FMB and am so heartbroken. Prayers for the beautiful people of SW Florida.

As I keep saying, this hurricane was a wake up call for everybody in Florida. Fort Myers Beach has been changed forever.

It is a total shame ft. Myers really did not have time to prepare with thinking that hurricane Ian was going to hit Tampa Bay directly. By the time the hurricane was starting to shift south, there really was no real time left. My heart breaks for all impacted in this.

Excellent video! Maybe we shouldn't build on the barrier islands.

So much to do, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of clean up activity. Too much destruction to know where to begin or to see what progress is being made🙏😢🇺🇸 Rebuilding of any kind will literally take years. God Bless all affected 🙏

I lived in Ft. Myers, and Cape Coral for several years in the late 80s. The places that I used to eat, shop, and the pier is just gone. I dated a nice young lady , but if I remember correctly her parents lived on the Beach an owners of a big Arts n Crafts store close by. Unbelievable

My heart aches for all the shop owners and restaurants whose livelihood depended on selling their wares!!!

The palm tree is nature's perfect design to withstand the incredible force of the ocean. Maybe we can learn from it how to build in hurricane areas and survive.

Amazing video (and I've watched a lot of Ian vids). Closeups bring it home better. Thanks for the tour.

The large black trucks in back ground that went by are they taking out ,or picking up all the lose debre ,all lose debre has to be removed before they can move forward, Are you seeing that happening??

I have no words that I'm truly sorry please sorry for the devastation there I'm there I'm thinking of you tonight God-bless you all hope you bounce back soon

Its like it went from a paradise to a war zone on one day, has to be unimaginable for the local residents, something else..

Do the next Bachelor in Paradise there. That show has plenty of train wrecks so it would blend in.

Great vid ty well done!

Eu não voltaria nunca mais pra um lugar desse!

Just unbelievable.

Its going to be 5 to 10 years before its back . It may never be what it was, so do what you can we will suport you .

The damage really looks similar to a tsunami strike.

So sad. I'm from Bonita and enjoy fort Myers beach.

I have been vacationing there for 12 years . We fell in love with the sunsets the restaurants the weather. It’s heartbreaking to see the devastation and destruction, god bless everyone and the community. A lot of people retire in south Florida and it’s sad to see what they endured after working there whole lives .

Just a thought have inmates that qualify put to work picking and help cleaning up

Jesusanticimos todavía no los han reparado hese lugar

I know that place well 2 times holiday there, it is so hard to watch this . Wish Ft. Myers all the best from Berlin

Man amazing devastation!

I see the sandcastle still standing in this pic I see plenty in videos.

Guess the question now is do they rebuild as before with the chance that another hurricane happens in the future or build more defences ? Thanks for updates .

Just heartbreaking 💔

Heartbreaking.

The amount of destruction is mind blowing we were supposed to arrive in fort Myers Beach on September 24th and stay until October 1st right behind the Hooters. Well the home that we had rented is still there to heavily damaged but I'm hearing the Hooters no longer exist along with about 60% of the other structures on the island. We backed out on Saturday morning prior to heading to the airport had a really bad feeling. I was relieved we didn't go but also heartbroken at what has happened to a place me and my wife have been frequenting on our vacations for years. The place we rented for our April trip it was also destroyed so we'll temporarily have to have to find a new vacation spot until Ft. Myers Beach returns hopefully very soon.

I was an airbrush artist across from the pier.. 1980 to 1988. I grew up in a nearby community. Before the beach area was built up we used to go to the park beside the pier which was nothing but palm trees 🌴 and sand. Many memories of painting t-shirts for spring breakers. 😎 My wish is that it is LEFT ALONE to be as it was intended... a BEACH!!! For ALL to enjoy! No more overdeveloping. No building on the beach side of Estero Blvd. NONE. And it made me sick when I learned Jimmy buffoon was given permit to build that monster down there 🤬 Quit disrespecting OUR once beautiful southern state. 🐊

Tourism or lack of will surely put a major damper on Florida economy!!

Can we get the backup alarms in sync to play Margaritaville.

All the shops gone all the bars and restaurants are gone who knows if they will rebuild it may cost to much to do it

So sad. I have family in Florida but they are okay thankfully. I'm curious how come cleanup hasn't started ? Are they just abandoning all that ??

Who's this so sad it does look like a boom 💥 went off damm 🤯

It makes me wonder Where did all the people go ? Are they still in the area ?

"It's closing time..."

Everywhere you look is total devastation. So terribly sad. Big hugs to everyone affected.

Bad ole hurricane

So sad❤

When did you get this footage? I have been there several times after the storm and cleanup is moving in slow motion

Does any one have footage of the Privateer Condominiums at 6500 Estero Blvd? My brother lived there for many years before he passed away in 2009. Also, across the street was a quaint little inn called The Dolphin Inn. Any footage of that? My husband and I stayed there in 2007 while visiting my brother.

It almost looks worse now then it did the first time they showed it.Thank God it wasn't worse. It sure could have been.

Kinda feel like they just need to go in and bulldoze everything left, clean everything to bare land and start over.

I'm gonna bring a boom box a keg of beer and I say we have a big A@# beach party to get the vibe back

I thinks the first things to bring back has to be basic infrastructure, of a small market, gas station, drug store These can be in temporary buildings. Water and Sewer, and of course electrical power. Rebuilding will take years. The people that have livable dwellings need some services for basic living needs

The piles of sand are they from them scraping the beach?

It looks like it will be years before this area will become a place people will go back to. I guess they have to start by putting the sand back were it belong. The cost to rebuild will cost , I don't know what it could cost, so sad.

Wish they'd reclaim the beach sand that was disposed to the roads back to the beach. I appreciate it's easier said than done but must understand that when Tampa lost water on the beach, that was because all that water and the beach sand (including FM) was lifted to land. Even though the water has moved back somewhat, the original beach washed soil needs to be reinstated to maintain the bright coloured sands that was.

💔🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

So heartbreaking 💔 Looks like a wasteland. Will be praying that the elected officials don't forget these towns in the weeks, months and years ahead. It's going to take time 🙏🌴

О, это ужасно! Моё сердце плачет.

Born and raised here, sorry but that's how it should look and sound. Don't need all the giant corporate garbage stores, selling crap . Few small local stores in a certain area that's it. Not any more stupidville prison looking shizholes... There is enough people in Lee County to keep Beach business alive don't need the world here. Locals used to flock to the beach but have stopped due to way to many tourists there..

Depressing and sad. 🙏 Let’s hope they’re insurance covers most of your damage

✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️ PRAYERS PRAYERS PRAYERS

So sad.

😢

Please Ft. Myers Beach, you need to stop using aluminium housing, wooden buildings, drywall, pressboard, and such building materials that have no place in your climate. If you rebuild in reinforced concrete including the roof, you will not suffer such catastrophic damage. Your builders need to come down to Puerto Rico to learn our building methods to withstand hurricanes. New concrete construction here very rarely is damaged by the worst of hurricanes.

Apocalyptic, no inferstructure left to support the Living.

Very sad. I want to retire to this town one day. What did we learn from this hurricane? If they were smart they would stop building permanent buildings on these beaches. Everything should be movable so when a hurricane is coming you can pull it away. Start thinking outside the box. Start talking to the owners of buildings that "weathered" the storm. What did they use?

Could everyone please stay away from fmb and the islands so contractors can do their job with less traffic. Again if you don't live, work or need to help love one's please stay away!

I don’t see any pigeons.

I will never go there.

Save all that sand to bury the next BP oil spill.

What a mess

They say the water may never be clear again (or at least not for 50 to 60 years) due to the pollution from the debris. Sadly it will never be what it was… Any effort to rebuild is probably a waste of time. The area is ruined forever.

No jobs also

It'd just as bad inland.

I bet these older folks wish now they spent more time with their children and grand children instead of basking in the Florida sunshine - wisdom needs to be passed down to the younger generation and golfing, fishing, surfing and bar hopping are not wisdom.

Investors are going to swoop in. It will never be the same. Highrise condos and Hotels are on the way. Nothing will be sitting flat on the beach.

My heart is broken seeing all the devastation Florida had to experience. I live in Oklahoma and our Tornados don't even do this kind of damage. Lord God, it just doesn't seem fair that you allowed this to happen. 😭😭😭 My prayers, for what it's worth go out to EVERYONE in Florida. ❤‍🩹❤‍🩹❤‍🩹🙏🙏🙏

I still don't understand why FEMA hasn't brought in trailers for all these people where are they staying now?? They don't all fit in the shelter..

Do you guys see the house that had NO DAMAGE??? Builders need to get the construction plans for that house and do the same! To see house check out ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_1GRwiHG2PY.html

Unless you have been there before Ian you can’t appreciate the destruction

They need to have a super fund without the FEMA bureaucratcy And get to rebuilding.. Because it will happen again tomorrow, next month, next year, within the next 5 or 10 years.. Same clean up or worse..Pre-stationed equipment and supplies..A whole new way of preparedness needs to take place in Florida.. We can't continue to have people who have lived here 20 and 30 years and new residents get wiped out every 3 to 5 years.. And no one, 80 to 90 % has NO insurance because it is to expensive..