SANIBEL ISLAND 4 MONTHS AFTER IAN 

Sanibel has been a part of our lives for yearly vacations for over 35 years and it had never failed to be a source of beauty and serenity. My heart and soul ache for her, but the video gives me hope for her future and knowing the love her residents and visitors have for Sanibel, no doubt she will rise again. I can't wait to be able to visit my beloved Sanibel once again. Julie Hembree

how sad I'm in my late sixties and I've been going there since I've been 15 years old it's just devastated it'll never ever be the same😭

I had the honor of performing Inspections for FEMA on Sanibel while deployed to Florida. It was heartwrenching, to say the least, but I did my best for everyone.

Look at how the trees that have fought for their lives are looking so ALIVE! Looks like springtime in the Texas Panhandle!!❤️

Sanibel Island was my solace & refuge while volunteering for IRMA relief. I'll never forget pulling off the causeway on one of those little fishing pull offs & video calling my parents. Seeing that causeway demolished was terrifying. Seeing the beach I sat on and video chatted sunsets with my parents and boyfriend....I hope it recovers. It's a lovely, unique, friendly island population.

Thank you for sharing this video. I’ve visited Sanibel for 30 years and often described it to people as the closest thing to paradise they’ve ever seen in the U.S. Sanibel was a paradise before hurricane Charley hit in 2004. It was gorgeous! It now breaks my heart to see the devastation again from hurricane Ian. I feel fortunate that I got to enjoy Sanibel pre-2004. Seeing the lighthouse still standing gives me hope. Thanks again.

It’s almost like a Cat 4/5 hurricane hit a small sleepy beach town. Thank you for posting. There are so many people who are never going to be able to move back, it’s breaks my heart. All of the lives lost, the lost small businesses, the homes lost. It’s heart wrenching.

Well done video! The beauty of Sanibel/Captiva brought us there for our honeymoon and years later we brought our kids to enjoy its natural splendor...as well as the Bubble Room and hunting for shells at South Seas. We lost our home in Miami to Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The beauty of nature is only matched by its fury when it decides to turn against man.

You are an excellent narrator, and you captured all the sights we wanted to see. Thank you!

Spent a lot of good years at Sanibel. May it rest in peace.

Looking at all the destruction of the foliage, homes and businesses I can’t help but wonder about all the wildlife that perished, so very sad!! Thank you very much for this tour of Sanibel, sure doesn’t look like the Sanibel I know but in time it will once again be rejuvenated!!

Just returned from St John USVI & we traveled to the island twice after they suffered back to back 2 cat 5 hurricanes to support them. Our jaws dropped from seeing the devastation. 3 years since we were last there from covid and lockdowns and the island looked great. Mother Nature has a way of restoring itself and miraculously the wild donkeys and other wildlife had survived. 🙏 for the people in Florida.

Thank you for the video. Sanibel is the only where I really relax. I am just gutted by what happened there.

Thank you for the video. Sanibel is my happy place. Brought my kids here, vacationed here with my sisters. I'll wait patiently until the island is ready to receive visitors. Best wishes for the island's residents and leaders as they recover.

I’m reluctant to “like” this video bc of the inexplicable, inconceivable destruction caused by Ian. However,I appreciate this video and the great job of narrating the tour. Very well done. I’ve lived in Sarasota for 6 years, through two devastating hurricanes and will never get used to it. You cannot imagine in your wildest nightmare the power of nature and the destruction to life, wildlife, and property. FLORIDA STRONG❤🙏🏼

We have a home on Sanibel & went over by boat a few days post Ian. The progress is slow but considering we were in the eye of the storm, it’s amazing. Once all the rest of the debris is gone it will be restored & (with time) beautiful again. Tarpon beach & Blind pass beach are opening this week, homes are being repaired/rented, restaurants are opening & Church has been meeting since 2 weeks post Ian, on island. My family will be visiting this spring break. Insurance payments are making things slow, considerably more then they should be. We are learning a lot! Sanibel will be back. Its been done before & with all the advanced technology we have now, it will be again. ❤

I was in Ft. Myers’s just last week, I was absolutely shook by the devastation ☹️ Have friends there that have been displaced, thank goodness they survived.

Thank you Larry for such a heartfelt and respectful video of Sanibel. Best regards to you.

Sanibel was so beautiful! I got to visit about 6 years ago while visiting a good friend! I got to see dolphins jumping out of the water, manatees and the shelling was a highlight for me! It’s so sad but I’m sure with time it will become just as beautiful!

Thank you for showing and narrating the effort into restoring Sanibel. When Charley hit in 2004, Sanibel lost its wild Old Florida look, and it was just starting to come back when Ian hit. A sadness seeing the decimation on the island, the wildlife refuge - but I agree, the lighthouse still stands tall. A beacon of hope that Sanibel will make its way back.

Thank you for the video tour. Sanibel is one of our favorite vacation spots. We are saddened by the devastation.

This reminds me of when Harvey came thru my favorite beach town in Texas, Port Aransas, which has the same vibe as Anna Maria Island. Very rustic, quaint and natural. My heart goes out to everyone in Florida that has suffered loss of homes, businesses, and their happy place. From the ashes, there will be improvements that would never have been possible without the wrath of Ian, and the toughness each person has had to exhibit will lend itself to character development that many people pay to try and create. God speed to everyone affected, Florida is an amazing state with the greatest people.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and caring video ! Appreciate your time showing us the progress on this beautiful island !

About a week later I did the same route all the way as far as I could go on Captiva until I reached a road closure and turned around. Not sure why but driving through FMB was much more haunting for me. Maybe it's the miles of empty high rise condos and no mangrove forests to hide the devastated houses. Also the big boats piled on top of each other near the marina and wondering about how all the mobile homes fared. I watched Ian on the news but seeing the destruction up close really hits home. Unimaginable.

Our family began to vacation in Sanibel in the early '80's and we went there last February (2022). My wife and I visited some friends in Punta Gorda this March and we drove to Sanibel to see the devastation and to have lunch at the Mucky Duck. There was an hour wait!! Good for them! Old Florida on Sanibel is gone and I can't even imagine the debris and pollution in the Ding Darling Preserve, lots of which will never be cleaned out. Time heals, but it's gonna take a long, long time for this to heal. Thanks for the video

So sad to see this, we visited from the UK in 2003 and had a wonderful few days. I have wanted to visit again for so long It a special place we hope to return to one day. Thank you for a wonderfully sensitive narration.

I appreciate you posting this. I have so so many sweet memories vacationing in Sanibel and Captiva. Some of the best fishing trips of my lifetime.

Very well done Sir. Thank you for documenting this for all of us to appreciate! ❤

Thanks for the video growing up on FMB and sanibel being the smallest wave capital even took field trip to ding darling hopefully it bounces back to be even better than it once was

This island needs to be turn to the big state park - so everyone can enjoy visiting....not just people who can afford to live there! We visited island before hurricane , there is no parking anywhere near beaches, some beaches u cant even get to bcs.of big houses hugging all of it! Our insurens goes up everytime when something like this happens, we do help to pay for it...but feels like we never welcome there!!! Only about 7.000 people residents there and about 1.5 million visitors every year -its lots and lots of money!!!!!This beautiful island should belong to everybody!!!!

Thank you. When they tell you to evacuate, get your family and pets and leave. Nothing more precious than your lives.

Thank you for this video you have made for all of us. It’s so sad, I’ve wanted to visit this island for quite a while. I hope my wife and I are able to visit in a year or so.

So happy to see Sanibel. I am very interested in what Casa Ybel looks like and how it fared. I really appreciate you making this video. Thank you.

Sanibel will come back stronger and more beautiful then before. We have a long way to go but those of us who live on and love Sanibel

Gut wrenching to see the devastation of this beautiful place. Spent time there in the winter for 8 years, so sad. It’s going o be a long road ahead for those affected. Be strong and look ahead.

It's so heartbreaking to see such a beautiful island get totally destroyed the way Ian did. I remember how it looked before Charley, with the beautiful tree canopy's over Periwinkle Way and then after Charley it was all gone. Last time I went there it looked like it was starting to come back somewhat and now this. I just hope and pray that Sanibel never sees another massive hurricane come through so all the beautiful greenery can come back and we can enjoy it as it used to be.

Thank you Sir, I’ve been following her recovery. I look forward to returning to our beloved Sanibel/Captiva Islands. We’ve been visiting since 1995. 😢Its heartbreaking for sure. God Bless all. Again, thank you. 🙏🏻

Was on Sanabel about five years ago traveling those same roads and recognized some businesses. Sad to see the destruction, but glad to see the restoration prgressing. Thanks.

Thank you Kid.

So sad. God bless the people who live there.

Nothing short of catastrophic...I applaud all the efforts to rebuild and restore and, all the while, remove the incredible amount of debris. The island is devastated, indeed forever changed, but will again become a destination for enjoyment.

Thank you for sharing this video. My husband and I spend January, February and March at Sanibel Sesta. BUT NOT THIS YEAR. So sad we are in Kentucky where it is cold with ice and snow. We will keep Sanibel and everyone in our prayers. Thanks again!! ❤️

This video just rips my heart out. Gorgeous place, I've been and I am devastated.

Great video Larry . I have spent alot of time vacationing in Sanibel last 25 years. Breaks my heart, but there is something magical about Sanibel & Captiva it will be back stronger

Thanks for the video.

Thank you for sharing the current visual. Sanibel🪸 memories & oodles of seashells are forever mine🌺🌴🌊

So sad to see my favorite vacation destination devastated I remember hurricane Charlie which wiped out the causeway bridges. I never thought we would be able to return but after the bridges were rebuilt we we amazed at the recovery. The trees grew back and the nature preserves retuned and while there were still visible scares slowly but surely Sanibel returned. Thanks for this video and I look forward to returning once again.

It will definitely take years to recover. Nice video, thanks for posting.

My husband and I went to Sanibel Island 34 years ago for our honeymoon. We had a wonderful time biking the trails and visiting Ding Darling Nature Preserve where we witnessed a manatee swimming in the water and we canoed in the mangroves. I have always wanted to go back there someday again but it does not look like it will be anytime soon. Thank you for your very thorough video commentary of its current status. Very sad for the residents and the wildlife. Healing prayers for its continuing resurrection from this devastation.

Larry, thanks for the update. So sad!

thanks Larry, i moved to ft. myers in the late 60's, and spent many a saturday at Sanibel as a teen. so sad about saniel. It was a beautiful place to grow up.

Thank you for sharing. This is so sad. I’m still Praying for everyone that lives on the Island. When the island is ready for business I will come visit. 🙏 😎 😢 🇺🇸

Thanks for the informative video. Sanibel and Captiva were delightful, relatively unspoiled pre-Ian. I fear for the long-term prospects of these and other barrier islands from sea-level rise and future hurricanes. Florida has improved its resilience and rehabilitation, but not done enough for prevention. Almost all of its top politicians are climate deniers, despite the fact that climate scientists believe that Florida is the state that's most vulnerable to climate change.

Residents were not allowed to return for almost a month. Only trucks were allowed after 2 weeks repair. My house molded to death after having 8 feet of sewage water inside and no electricity. Still no electricity. I can't bare to return. This vid makes me cry. I packed many belongings and evacuated. I'll never be the same.

Thank Gov. Ron Santis for getting the Sanibel Causeway fixed so quick!

Well done, thanks for sharing and the excellent descriptions.

I made my first trip here with my daughter and her mother a few years back. Loved it, the island was absolutely beautiful. It's sad to see how much destruction Ian did to this special place. Glad to see it coming back to what it was. I also saw the Beeghly tree clean up trucks in the video. They're from my hometown and do great work. Glad to see my county down there helping out!

Can't believe the garbage that still around. Hello from Siesta Key Florida

Love this video, thank you! So sad but hopeful it will come back. Had the privilege to visit Sanibel 2 summers ago! We went to Ding Darling and the lighthouse hardly recognize those areas. Before we left we ate at the Lazy Flamingo😊 so love Sanibel. I celebrated my 70th birthday , and looking forward to going back❤

Very sad. I have so many fond memories of cycling from Fort Myers through Sanibel, Ding Darling and Captiva. Beautifully done video.

It's so sad to see this beautiful island like that I was lucky to spend the summer last year just before the hurricane is going to take while to recover 🙏

As I watch the video, I heard that you said the magic words - these are vacation homes. While your documentary was appreciated, I must say I feel more and would be more inclined to help the communities where primary homes were demolished, such as in Fort Myers Beach and the surrounding areas. But, we are all free to do whatever we choose with the help that we give. Much love to everyone.

We love this area. We talked to some people living on the island and explained that they needed to get some kind of Radio to communicate when the grid goes down. That's what we did in Central Florida. Keeping the Community on a Radio network

I remember how long it took to clean up McClellanville and the surrounding Charleston area after Hugo. The folks in Sannibel have a long road ahead and years to get most things up and running. All the best to them.

Come back soon. I have been going there for 23 years. Once you get it opened back up, I will be back to support you.

THANKS FOR THIS VIDEO

Very well done, thank you for posting this.

Thanks for posting this update.

Great report and video. Fantastic. Thank you sir.

You did a great job with this video. Thank you.

It still saddens me to see all the destruction! It was so beautiful there! Time is the cure for many things! 🙏

Sooooo very sad! My mother and dad used to winter in Bradenton and when I would go down to visit them we would always go to Sanibel. It was so beautiful and this is so so sad.

Good to see the birds are back in great numbers!! 😍🥰

Thank you. One of the more informative videos I have watched. I finally gave up trying to find out about J.N. "Ding" Darling and I just happened upon your video. Yes, I wonder if Sanibel will ever be like it once was. I think in twenty years it may be the beautiful island it once was, as long as there isn't a repeat. Barrier islands scare the heck out of me. Wonderful place to visit but wouldn't want to live there. I had to evacuate from Sanibel during hurricane Andrew and the only thing the condo had when we returned was a small amount of water around the sliding glass doors at Pointe Santo de Sanibel. I'm done running from hurricanes in Fl.

I do appreciate the amount of destruction the storm did to Sanibel seems to be so much more extensive than even Fort Meyers. I feel so bad for all of the people affected by Ian!

yes †he lighthouse was the beam of hope for Sanibel's recovery and restoration

Frequently visited sanibel my whole life and always stayed at sandy bend. Can’t wait to see things come back!

Thank you for this tour.

Thank you.

As someone who frequented Sanibel since 1970 up until I moved out of the state in 2013, I can say this video was sad to see but so very well done with somber music playing at a very reasonable volume. Your evaluations of the damage was excellent as well as explaining where you are and what you are seeing is exceptional. Thanks for such a beautifully put together video.

Gosh, it seems so long ago, I’m so sorry guys, we live on Marco and Sanibel was one of our fav day vacations, we also loved Doc Fords there.🙏🏼💔😥

I did the flooring in the community center. Hopefully all the nice people who live there are good . Thoughts n prayers

It makes me incredibly sad to see the devastation on this once pristine island…but I have NO doubt , the love ppl have for this island and I think within %5 years there will be a significant difference…I was there the Friday before the storm. Had I known that it would be this devastated I would have taken pictures….but we were all hopeful….had nooooo idea that it would be this bad. I am very hopeful that the love ppl have will bring it back to life and give refuge to so many wildlife that need this space. I don’t know if it will happen in my lifetime because I have a terminal disease , but I really hope I get to see it …❤️..

It is strange to see places I have seen BI altered so violently. Nature is a force. My goodness, we must take care of our environment. Thank you for reminding us all.

I was there a month after, working with the recovery crews doing surveys on some of the HVAC systems. It looks like they have made a lot of progress since then. I was just blown away by the devastation. I live in Texas so I have seen bad damage from tornados but the scale of this was just unbelievable. It was depressing driving down the road and seeing people's houses and memories piled up on the side of the road.

I was wondering how much has been cleaned up there. Thank you for sharing this video great job.

Prime example of why you shouldn't build on a barrier island.

Used to live south of Sanibel and would ride my Harley there often. The devastation is incredible. I can just imagine all the people that are fighting with their insurance company.

It’s really incredible that there is any green on sanibel. With all the salt water & wind.

thanks for your kind words

Thank you for sharing!

I was recently in Bonita Springs visiting family. We walked the Bonita Beach and it was a devastated experience. For almost three miles every home had incurred some damage and none of the condo buildings were open . The beach’s were empty and I was told more than 400 vehicles were in the water offshore and recreation was not not advised. In Fort Myers Beach the damage was extensive and very little economic activity was seen. Almost 50% of the buildings on the beach were literally gone and many more on the other side of the beach road. While rebuilding was taking place place it appeared that there was a shortage of labor - it will be at least two years before there is a return to anything like normalcy. It’s one thing to see this devastation on tv quote another to witness it in person. The insurance companies are playing tough - almost 25% of claims have been rejected.

They have come a long way but there still alot of work to do there prayers for all who lost their lives from this major hurricane and prayers for the people of that island for a full recovery

Thank you for the update. Sad.

Perfect video. Thank you for your effort.

Good job on your video….nice flow, edits and presentation- you are a natural for video production young man!

Thank you for sharing this. We’ve been camping at Periwinkle RV park for many years. Don’t know what condition it is now, but we hope we can return one day.

Well done video.

The amount of road work and causeway work that had to be done was completed in an impressive accelerated schedule. The homes and businesses however are not being repaired as quickly as they need to be. I’m sure the massive scale of owners fighting with their insurers to get the funds to push ahead is more frustrating than we can imagine.

Get well Sanibel!