Rescuers evacuated stunned survivors from areas cut off by Hurricane Ian and Florida's death toll climbed sharply, as hundreds of thousands of people were still sweltering without power days after the monster storm rampaged through the state.
Flooded roadways and washed-out bridges to barrier islands left many people isolated, amid limited cellphone service and a lack of basic amenities such as water, electricity and the internet.
“We are without a roof overhead. We need food. We need money to buy things,"said Maria Galindo, speaking in Spanish. "We need help.”
Galindo lives in Harlem Heights, the mostly Hispanic community of 2,000 near Fort Myers that was hammered by the Category 4 hurricane.
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In total, at least 83 people have died in the state due to the effects of Hurricane Ian. The highest number of deaths were in Lee County which jumped to 42 and Charlotte County to 23, according to a report from the Florida Medical Examiners Commission.
As of Sunday, customers without power dropped to 817,000, down from a peak of 2.67 million.
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Amid the devastation, efforts to aid those left with little to nothing ramped up throughout the area. Massive temporary shelters were set up in the parking lot of the Hertz Arena in Estero where helicopters were seen dropping survivors.
In a news release, Governor Ron DeSantis said more than1,600 rescues had been made as of Sunday morning, and more than 1,000 rescue personnel were performing search and rescue.
The bridge to Pine Island, the largest barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, was destroyed by the storm, leaving it accessible only by boat or air.
Governor DeSantis Sunday directed the Florida Department of Transportation to expedite emergency repairs needed to restore access.
The volunteer group Medic Corps, which responds to natural disasters worldwide with pilots, paramedics and doctors, went door-to-door asking residents if they wanted to be evacuated.
Some flew out by helicopter, and people described the horror of being trapped in their homes as water kept rising.
“The water just kept pounding the house and we watched, boats, houses — we watched everything just go flying by,” Joe Conforti said, fighting back tears. He said if it wasn’t for his wife, who suggested they get up on a table to avoid the rising water, he wouldn’t have made it: “I started to lose sensibility, because when the water’s at your door and it’s splashing on the door and you’re seeing how fast it’s moving, there’s no way you’re going to survive that.”
Amid the devastation, recovery efforts ramped up in the hardest hit areas.
The governor's office said Sunday FEMA had opened kitchens and food banks, fuel depots and emergency assistance resources for impacted and displaced residents. The release said 1,800 personnel from 26 states have been deployed to Florida.
The National Guard also set up food and water at distribution centers where long lines of residents waited for food and water.
Following DeSantis' authorization, over 5,200 Florida Guardsmen have been activated to assist in recovery efforts, the news release said. Up to 2,000 Guardsmen from neighboring states were also activated to assist.
In Washington, the White House announced that President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden would travel to Florida on Wednesday. But a brief statement did not release any details of the planned visit to the state.
River flooding posed a major challenge at times to rescue and supply delivery efforts. The Myakka River washed over a stretch of Interstate 75, forcing a traffic-snarling highway closure for a while before officials said later Saturday that it could be reopened.
While swollen rivers have crested or are near cresting, the levels aren’t expected to drop significantly for days, National Weather Service meteorologist Tyler Fleming said.
At Port Sanibel Marina in Fort Myers, Florida, the storm surge pushed several boats and a dock onshore. Charter captain Ryan Kane said his vessel was so badly damaged that he was unable to use it to help rescue people, and now it will be a long time before he can take clients fishing again.
“There’s a hole in the hull. It took water in the motors. It took water in everything,” he said, adding: “You know, boats are supposed to be in the water, not in parking lots."
In the once pristine Vanderbilt Beach community in Naples, residents faced the daunting task of cleaning massive amounts of tainted mud from flooded homes.
"There’s chemicals in the mud that you can see swirling, didn’t know which chemicals," Bobbi Mendez said.
With no help from FEMA – as of yet – she worries about what else Hurricane Ian may have left behind.
DeSantis said Saturday that multibillionaire businessman Elon Musk was providing some 120 Starlink satellites to “help bridge some of the communication issues.” Starlink, a satellite-based internet system created by Musk's SpaceX, will provide high-speed connectivity.
“It’s as awful as it looks, but we’re here. We’re survivors, we’re going to make it,” said a Fort Myers resident.
