PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Hurricane Ian’s fury destroyed the bridge connecting Matlacha, a small charming village in Lee County, to Pine Island and the Cape Coral-Fort Myers area.
Aerial video shows residents using a slab to walk into what’s left of the area after Ian’s storm surge swallowed some of the once colorful galleries and boutiques.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said rescue teams stopped in Sanibel Island to check on some of the residents who refused to evacuate and survived the storm. Older homes, DeSantis said, “just washed into the ocean.”
There have been at least 21 hurricane-related deaths in Florida and DeSantis warned there could be more.
“Just because the storm has passed don’t think that there aren’t hazards there,” DeSantis said referring to threats such as live power lines and gas leaks.
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More from reporters on Florida’s west coast
In this photo taken by a drone, shrimping boats and powerboats lie strewn atop homes after the passage of Hurricane Ian, on San Carlos Island, in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Hurricane Ian's storm surge damaged a bridge that connects Sanibel Island to the main land. This aerial photo was shot on Sept. 29. (AP Foto/Wilfredo Lee) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
This image shot with a drone shows mobile homes after Hurricane Ian in the island of San Carlos in Fort Myers, on Sept. 29. (AP Foto/Rebecca Blackwell) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
In an aerial view, boats are piled on top of each other after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area causing severe damage. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Rescue personnel search a flooded trailer park after Hurricane Ian passed by the area Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Jeff Weinsier joined Local 10 News in September 1994. He is currently an investigative reporter for Local 10. He is also responsible for the very popular Dirty Dining segments.
