FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. – Fort Myers Beach residents are coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, just two years after Hurricane Ian wiped out the area.
That includes Cindy Duclos and her husband Pat, homeowners in the island community.
“We inherited some kayaks as you can see,” Cindy Duclos said. “And I got somebody’s mailbox.”
Following a long night, Pat Duclos described the rising water levels.
“About 6:00 it was up a foot and then for five hours we watched it keep coming up and up and up,” he said.
Cindy Duclos added, “Then we got up about 1:30 a.m. and he opened the doors and let all the water out.”
They reported that their home took in about two feet of water.
“That’s the water mark,” Cindy Duclos pointed out, highlighting the damage. “This was the laundry room. I am hoping it will still work.”
Hurricane Ian devastated their home two years ago.
“We had 15 feet of water, lost everything upstairs,” Cindy Duclos said.
Pat Duclos noted, “It was about a year ago today we moved back.”
Cindy Duclos expressed her love for the ocean, saying, “I love the ocean. It fills my heart, it’s my ebbs and flow.” However, her husband interjected, “It gives you second thoughts though, let me tell you.”
Sheriff Carmine Marceno of Lee County commented on the situation, “It brings back déjà vu. Hurricane Ian, this was ground zero.”
Over at the town’s Times Square, Marceno checked in on area business owners, including Carlos Chavez, who owns an ice cream parlor and pizza shop.
“I know people got it much worse up north and I am praying for them,” Chavez said. “We were really lucky,” he added, mentioning that they only had an inch and a half of water inside and all the equipment was working fine.
Marceno commended the community’s resilience. “We clean the floors, we open up and we smile,” he said.
Chavez agreed, “Yes, that’s what we have to do today.”
The sheriff reported that his agency received more than 100 calls for service Thursday night and detailed some of the rescue efforts.
“We used boats, jet skis; some people were stranded in their homes,” he said. Reflecting on the events, he added, “It feels like just a second ago we went through this and first you pray, no loss of life, which thank god as of right now there are no fatalities.”
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