Ennette Cuervo can breathe easy Thursday night now that she knows her family in Sanibel Island is safe after Hurricane Ian caused widespread devastation.
"I’m so grateful and relieved. Those are the words," she said. "And thank you, Jesus!"
The island community has been completely cut off after the monster storm destroyed a section of its causeway, which connects the island to the mainland.
"The only thing that I have are photos that were sent to me by a search and rescue organization," Cuervo said. "They sent me photos. They said my name. They’re like, 'We’re fine.' But I haven’t been able to connect with them because the lines are still down."
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IAN COVERAGE
For more than 24 hours, Cuervo couldn’t get in touch with her grandmother, 79-year-old Amparo Toledo, and her aunt and uncle, Desiree and Richard Rodriguez, who all live together on the island. They didn’t evacuate because they rescue animals and didn’t want to leave them behind.
With phone lines down, Cuervo's aunt sent her a video to let her know they had been rescued and are OK.
"Hey Ennette, we’re doing good," her aunt says. "Our car floated across to the neighbor’s yard, but other than that, we’re good.”
Cuervo was anxious after not hearing from her grandmother since Wednesday afternoon — right before the family went into a closet to hide.
"I called to check in on her and I could sense the fear in her voice, and she told me, 'I have to go, I have to go. We’re packing into the closet right now,'" she said.
Cuervo called over and over again.
But — no answer.
"I tried calling her about an hour after that, and it would just go straight to voicemail," she said.
Cuervo said her fear only got worse when she saw images of the Sanibel Causeway destroyed.
"That’s when I felt hopeless," she said.
She turned that hopelessness into action and called first responders to do a wellness check. She also turned to social media, posting pictures of her family and tagging search and rescue, writing, “My grandmother, aunt, and uncle did not evacuate. Please share so hopefully it can get in the right person’s feed.”
Her persistence paid off.
"I knew it was just a matter of finding them. I knew in my heart that they were gonna be fine," Cuervo said. "So it was just a matter of confirmation that I needed to see their face that they are indeed fine. And I got it, so I’m really happy."
