Fort Myers Beach councilman Dan Allers rode out the storm with his wife at a friend’s house. But when he went back out, he said the words that came to mind were “total devastation” and “catastrophic.”
After the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ian, Fort Myers Beach “looks like just a big sandy beach” if you look from above, Allers told CNN, adding that an aerial shot from before the hurricane would look completely different from an aerial shot of the same area today.
As Allers gets out to help clear the road, he said it’s like plowing the road after a big snowstorm in the midwest. The aim is to get to the southern end of the island where most of the community’s senior citizens live who are struggling to get supplies — not from the lack of effort but a lack of adequate help, he said.
“I don’t know if anyone in Washington can hear this: If you can send help, we need it,” he said.
President Biden said Thursday the federal government will cover 100% of the cost that the state of Florida incurs for its emergency response efforts related to Hurricane Ian. He noted that he approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request for expedited major disaster declaration during his remarks from FEMA headquarters in Washington, DC, Thursday.
