Fort Myers Beach area residents recall the terror as storm ripped through

Fort Myers Beach hardest hit by Hurricane Ian

MIAMI - People near Fort Myers Beach recall the terror as Hurricane Ian ripped through southwest Florida.

CBS 4 Reporter Nicole Lauren spoke with several people who decided to ride out the storm. 

Doug Listin told CBS4 he stayed on his boat the entire time. 

At one point, he said the storm surge was so high it was over the roofs of buildings. 

Listin said, "I ended up myself and the guy in that sailboat.. tied up next to each other. Rode it out till we couldn't. I ended up on the restaurant next door with my boat." 

He showed us the storefront he manages that was also ruined in the storm. 

As CBS4 drove down McGregor Blvd heading towards Fort Myers Beach our crew saw boats scattered through the roadway. 

Homeowner Rita Israel told CBS 4 she rode out the storm elsewhere but drove back to look at the damage. When she and her husband got there, it was gone. Israel said, "It's all lost… I don't know how to take it." 

Shortly after CBS 4 made it over the bridge to Fort Myers Beach Lee County deputies told everyone they had to go and said they were shutting down the bridge. 

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.