I see all the requests for the south side of the island. If anyone wants to contribute a boat tomorrow (Thursday) I will shoot the rest of the island. We had planned today but due to the Governor and POTUS visiting there are flight restrictions up and no flights are allowed.
Thanks for your fantastic work, and I hope you'll be able to do a south side video. My family has had a place there since 1981, and my wife and I love it. We're wondering about the building with my mom's condo, the Santini Plaza, 7-11, movie theater, etc.
First I want to say thank you for sharing this. Stay humble and kind ppl. It’s easy to say “why didn’t ppl leave?” As a former Floridian that experienced multiple hurricanes including Ivan in 2004. It’s easy for others to say you should have done this or that but let’s remember that not all of us are fortunate to be able to get up and go. Ian was not predicted to make a direct hit to this area which means these residents did not prepare for a full on direct hit. My heart goes out to all of you! The weather is very unpredictable no matter how advanced the technology is you just never know.
As someone that has been in more hurricanes than all but a handful of people on the planet I just hope people understand that it can happen to them. We see repeatedly people saying they have been through this hurricane and that hurricane, therefore they aren't worried about the current threat. The truth is, very few people have experienced the eye-wall of a Category 4 hurricane but many millions think they have because they went a few days without power in the past 50 miles from ground zero. Miles matter in a hurricane and past experiences give so many a very false sense of security. As for the 15' storm surge (maybe 18'), this is not as uncommon as many think. This is similar or less than with Hurricane Laura, Ida and Michael just in the last 5 years. Surge can get much higher, particularly along the gulf coast. In extreme cases it could even get twice as high as what was witnessed with Ian.
I’ve lived through Andrew in an apartment in Miami, Irma in my home in Naples and now Ian, I’m 💯 sure the state and local government should have done more to keep safe what was important…LIVES!!!!!!!!!
Most people don't understand the NHC cone. SW Florida was never out the cone. If you are in the 3-day cone, you have equal chances of a direct hit. The center line is not a forecast track, it simply divides the cone, while tying the 12 hour forecast points together. The NHC should remove the black center line all together. It doesn't mater what size storm, there will always be people who choose to stay. We should focus on helping those who want to evacuate but don't have the capacity. For those who choose not to leave but can, all we can do is educate, for starters we could fix the NHC cone.
I was in Fort Myers from that Friday ->late Sunday night. Storm hit Wednesday. The media and officials kept downplaying this storm. I went back and pulled the footage and articles to confirm. Definitely a "Tampa" storm, and they kept saying yes, it'll intensify, but it'll weaken before it hits land. If even as late as Wednesday morning, if officials had said it was going to be a Cat 5 hitting the area, there would have been a mass exodus. Even the saltiest, drunkest fisherman isn't going to hang around for a Cat 5. In fact, many of the stranded/beached fishing vessels you might have saw were from the Tampa Bay area, as they came down here hoping to avoid the storm. My own parents rode out the storm on Fort Myers Beach. I couldn't convince them to leave. The only concession they made was to get their cars off the island and to high ground. Truth be told, this was actually a good decision. The building was designed to handle a storm like this. Because of that, they were in their cocoon, isolated from the full fury of the storm outside. They could see the water rising but couldn't hear or feel it. Out of everyone we know, including people inland, they had the smoothest ride. They were never worried. Not the same story for friends I have who rode this out in newer single-family homes on the mainland.
My heart literally hurts watching this footage and seeing the complete destruction of cities and islands. It looks like a war zone 😢 Praying for everyone who is having to deal with this unimaginable loss and the trauma they are suffering 🙏🏻😢❤️
The one and only named storm to hit in 2022 so far. So late into the season as well, can’t believe it happen to be the most destructive in Florida besides Andrew. The raw unpredictability of Mother Nature. She is not happy with this administration and the downhill spiral it’s putting us through. Sometimes a storm like this brings back the care for humanity that we’ve been lacking.
Its really amazing how the newer homes are standing, the new hurricane codes I guess kept them intact. Such a sad sight. Lord Jesus be with those who lost so much.
@@Jason-..- I have been a Fort Myers resident for 29 years each and every new house is intact, we all knew older houses were on borrowed time. New building codes developed after hurricane Andrew work
@@djcorvette8375 yes, Perth. Actually your name reminded me, we imported a 1969 corvette convertible with a targa topp, it was electric blue, then we bought a 1979 corvette, it wasn't as nice as the '69 model. We also had a Transam with the big gold eagle on the bonnet, no where near as nice to drive as the 'vettes. Great days. Sorry if I bored you, a little trip down memory lane. ❤
Amazes me how so many people take time out of their day to leave nasty, hateful comments for people that have lost everything. I can't imagine walking around with that much hate inside, must be painful for them. Nobody that had a home or life here deserved it. For the most part FMB had lots of hard working average people that had lives and memories there. Prayers and wishing all better days ahead.
totally agree with you on the nasty side of comments but "For the most part FMB had lots of hard working average people"? really? you just have to see so many snowbirds asking for drone views of their property. Or watch the traffic every morning of people commuting to FMB. Very small number of islanders work for a living
I have seen a few different videos. I do not think the damage was as extensive. The way the winds and the storm surge occured the worst damage was done mid island and up. (Not saying there wasn't any damage, just not as extensive)
I saw one house that survived undamaged Not sure of the location but it was completely intact even the roof was fine Everything else around it was completely destroyed It was only a few years old
This is the best drone footage of Florida I have seen. Devastating! I lived through HUGO! I know what you Floridians are about to endure over the next 12 months. Help one another or your days will be long and painful. You can't manage alone! "Love your neighbor as you love yourself". May God be with all of you.
This is a storm in which even if every person evacuated it would not have helped the result of this hurricane. The total destruction was going to happen no matter what. And remember they thought this was tracking to hit Tampa head on just a few hours before it made landfall. That's what all models were showing. I agree everybody should always evacuate. But with this storm, where too?
@@Liberty6010and9 As far north as possible. Many evacuation orders went out for coastal areas not in the direct path, both gulf and Atlantic side. The sheer size of the storm should have caused alarm and will hopefully be heeded in future events.
It really was a tsunami that hit Fort Meyers. The sea receded in Tampa Bay and when I saw that... I said to myself: OMG! Poor people! It´s unbelievable!
People just underestimate what a storm surge can do. Sandy wasn't even a hurricane, it was a severe storm. The horrendous damage was from the surge alone, not the wind.
I was in Fort Myers a week and left a day before the storm hit..nobody was worried at all...everybody thought Ian would hit Tampa..cant believe I was there right before this happened..praying for all u folks down there...terrible what happened.
My sister was on Ft. Myers Beach on Tuesday the day before Ian hit. She was shocked at the number of people just mozying around, not suspecting or preparing. She lives inland, and still got 4.5 feet of water that floated her car away.
Thank you for filming this for all the residents that cant see their properties. I was looking for footage of Sanibel near Robinwood Cir and W Gulf dr area. So sad for that to happen in such a beautiful area. Praying for all the good folks down there.
Thank you for posting this. My parents were able to see their house (14:28--the one where you focused straight down and could see the floor tiles of their home and the pool full of debris but no water). They were year-long residents of FMB. Please stay safe.
I see also lots of newer construction survived. However, most seemed to be on the backside of the island. You can tell where storm winds/surge was worse by the damage pattern on the sea facing part of the island.. Trailers had no chance.
every new house (built up to the new "Hurricane Andrew" code) survived with no mayor issues Row of beach front house @ 4:54 did just fine. Mobile homes need to be banned from coastal counties
This Is so heartbreaking 💔 so many lives were lost 😢 it’s is so surreal 🥺 Thank you for sharing, my husband’s grandparents lived there years ago & it still holds a special place in his families hearts 💕 Our thoughts & prayers for all 😢🙏🏼
12:45 The seawall was completely useless and the new construction appears to have withheld from the extremely damaging water. I've said this before, Florida and hurricane prone zones need to prohibit any mobile homes and all future homes and structures need to be updated to Category 5 building techniques and materials particularly water mitigation.
the new library @ 3:34, beachfront houses @4:53, light blue house with solar panels @ 6:07, beachfront mansions @ 6:26, the bay facing houses @ 10:36, the house next to Newton Park @12:35 (yes that was a park), the big one @ 18:57 (that one was surrounded by tiny old houses), even the one under construction @ 19:27 is more livable than any older dwelling. Those are structures built up to the new code (the one developed after hurricane Andrew) The code is there but it cant be retroactive older houses had no chance to survive. And that tiny wall is not a seawall is designed to stop erosion (and also fails at that)
Thank you for THE BEST AERIAL FOOTAGE I'VE SEEN TO DATE. YOUR DETAIL IS ASTONISHING! My heart mind body & soul hurt for everyone here who has suffered & are suffering beyond comprehension. God be with all.
Amazing footage to see the extent of the damage. How terrifying for anyone that did not evacuate and rode that storm through. A big job to rebuild and recover from.
Thank you for the videos! I was wondering if you could do a video of the South part of Fort Myers Beach. Particularly, Estero Beach and Tennis Club condos? We visit family there every year and would like to see video footage of it. If you could do this that would be great!
Amazing video, thank you for showing the areas south of Time Square (where the majority of the video has been shot). There are a lot of FMB homeowners who have been wondering about the status of their homes and neighborhoods and have been desperately watching for video like this. The video skipped our particular area but we could tell that some of the debris that was blocking our path off Estero has been moved since the NOAA satellite pictures from last week. We are so sad for the loss of life and property. I hope you will shoot more video.
Thank you very much for flying this portion of the island. Thanks to you I was finally able see my mom's house in higher res than the NOAA satellite images. Much appreciated.
back in 1961; I was a child this is what our migrant worker shanty town and row houses looked like after hurricane Carla.The thing is whole families disappeared so there was no one left to report the missing and no one searched for the dead. I remember all the empty spaces where the migrant worker rent houses and caravans use to be and hearing my mom screaming: "They'are all gone where are they?"
- Carla was the hurricane that wiped out so much of Galveston. My family went there for the summer just afterwards and we were told of the big wooden rollercoaster and hotel piers that were destroyed! Carla must have been a bad one. I think we went there in 1963. Love to all who suffer in horrible hurricanes ♥️
Where were you at? I remember seeing nothing but slabs at my relatives small Carancahua Bay subdivision, about 15 miles north of the Gulf, across Matagorda Bay from Port O"Connor where she hit on 9 11,1961. There was debris hanging from the country high lines and a lot of rattle snakes on the roads. Lucky that the Mother of Hurricanes, Carla, hit in the sparsely populated area about 125 miles west of Galveston, Tx. If Carla had hit Corpus Christi or Galveston directly, there would have been nothing but slabs there, and Houston would have been clobbered too. It's debatable whether Carla, was a Cat 5 or 4 having 175 mph gusts at Port Lavaca, and later down graded to Cat 4 sustained 145 winds, but what made her really bad was her size. Her 250 mile radius with outer bands from Corpus Christi to Louisana, and doing damage all the way up to Greenland. Her size also put out tidal surges reported as high as 18.5 feet.
its pretty sad .. it looked like the whole place was nuked and just got obliterated in a war (war zone). Soo sad ... 😢😥.. our hearts, prayers and thoughts go out to all who suffered and were caught up in this catastrophe. We pray for your recovery to be speedy. 🙏🙏 stay strong.
Thank you ❤️ for this video showing the devastation. There are SO MANY counties, towns, cities affected, and even STILL flooding occurring "down river" a week later adding insult to injury. Woe. Tragic. Not everyone that had homes there are wealthy. MANY were regular folks on minimum wage jobs who "serviced" the Florida tourist & vacation industry. They lived in inexpensive housing because that's all they can afford. They lost not only their meager homes but their jobs too. Devastating for them.... just cleanup & debris removal will be a monumental task.
What is the worst are people that are not insured. Those big boats, they'll just get another one. Those who have nothing and lost their job, that's hard. I went through one hurricane. It blew away the house around me. By God's grace I was in the bathroom with my dog, with a single mattress over our heads... we lived but we were there 3 days before we saw anyone but the one neighbor he was there because he had no car and his dog. My car was in the shop. I left Florida. I won't go there during hurricane season. I live in PA now!
God Bless everyone, especially the elderly!!!!! Wishing lots of strength, support, and resources for a speedy transition into new or old accomodations!!!!! Prayers for strength to make it through this most difficult time !!!!! God send your incredible healing power to everyone in Florida!!!!!!
You stopped too early!!! Looking for footage from where you stopped to Santini plaza and fish tale marina. Also looking for footage of the Wyndham Great footage though! Thanks for taking the time to do this.
Oh gosh….. my heart is breaking. We need to help Florida and unify as a country. I am so sad. Sending love from California. Sending love to friends living in Naples. I was so worried about my friends living through the storm. I visited Orlando for a conference and went to Disney World. Orlando people were so nice and kind. I just can’t believe how bad this is.
Is there any chance you could do the south end of the island? There's no footage anywhere for that area and I and many others have properties in that end and we have no idea if the buildings are still standing.
@@dmalka336 It's not my residence, just a time share I have for the month of March, still a significant investment though. The building itself is raised on concrete pillars, the first floor is about 12 feet above grade so there's a fair chance it survived catastrophic damage. Time will tell... I feel bad for those who lost their homes. that has to be horrible. But my now-deceased mother bough those 30 years ago so there's lots of memories there.
I'm a minute in to this video and my heart is pounding. Amazing pile of junk represents the whole earthly belongings of thousands of families. Their cherished family memorabilia and hard work in life destroyed. The house isn't where we left it? Whaaat,!?! Where do they live now? How can miles of rubble be dealt with? My fear......it gets dumped into our deep oceans to pollute our planet. We pray for Peace to come for these survivors of Ian. May God bring them a better renewal of their lives.
Looks like a war zone.. So sad!!! I'm living in Florida and I'm so blessed because Ian was projected to hit us head on... Many Blessings to all of South West Florida... Thank you to the best Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis.you are the bomb...
Look who's suffering now. And you praise a Liar manipulator who plays with people's lives. FLA LOOK At you NOW! We All suffer but some only value Money. NOW your Arrogant lives litter and poison the land with Ridiculous Boats and buildings. FINGER OF GOD TO TEACH AND HUMBLE DeSantis and all of FLA.
?? DeSantis? The guy who wanted to refuse aid to Hurricane Sandy victims? Sorry (not sorry), not a fan. We in FMB were hit pretty much head on, so I have a somewhat different perspective. Let's see DeSantis ask for money now--you know, that 'Socialist' money he claims other hurricane victims don't need if they're not in his voting bloc.
Beyond sad its total devastation! I would never rebuild cut my losses and get out.Its only a matter of time until it happens again The cleanup alone could take at least 2 years
When I got out of the army five years ago, I didn't know how to find my feet, so I was lost and I didn'teven speak to my family. I found a little farm in Fort Myers, met a girl, and stayed there for three years. When I look back on those days, I see it through a filter of sunshine and gold, because they were the best three years of my life. The farm is now destroyed, and Fort Myers is too. It's taken a few days for it to really hit, but last night it finally hit me and I cried for the first time in a long time. I'm not sure what to do, but I know my friends need my help and I know that so many people will never be found. I learned this morning that people were calling their families, screaming for help as their homes broke up before being sucked into the sea forever.
@@jeanetteshawredden5643 there's a guy who looks for metal jewelry on yt for people who have lost sentimental items on beaches. He finds them and returns them to their owner. He's amazing.
Seen this total destruction terrifies me as a person who has lived in South Florida my entire life. I recently thought about what would happen if something like this happened to Turkey Point the Nuclear Plant in Miami. I think about what happened in Japan with the tsunami.
It is so bad at the north end of Fort Myers Beach just because this is where the SOUTHERN EYEWALL came ashore from the ocean. EVERYWHERE else there would be diminishing damage because it was not where the onshore wind had the highest speed and the central part of the hurricane had the lowest air pressure. The southeast part of Ivan would have the highest wind speed here because it went northeast, so you add up both the wind speed at the eyewall AND the forward speed of the hurricane along its path. It probably also was worsened because the flow of ocean water bought about by the western eyewall curved along Sanibel island and was pushed very forcefully onshore on northern Ft. Myers Beach just because of the location and shape of Sanibel.
This is why you shouldnt be allowed to build on barrier islands or along beachside ..they need to ban any build back on the barrier islands and along the beach ..need to return it to its natural being the way it was made to be ...these barrier islands and dunes are there for reason and living on them isnt it ....
we were there in August for our 4th wedding anniversary, we got married on the beach behind Lani Kai, we have been staying for past 10 yrs at Estero Beach and Tennis club. every drone footage we have scene. stops where yours did. hoping to see one continue dow to the end of the island. was wondering about Santini Plaza. EBTC and other places. FMB will come back stronger
What do You expect when park a trailer near the beach? You have two options, buy trailer, Finance it with insurance, or buy trailer outright, no insurance, and take a gamble. It cost lots of money to live in a hurricane zone, just a fact.
To think a week ago people were going about their lives enjoying the beautiful area that they lived in and now the devastation is beyond belief it goes on and on for miles,my thought is where do you begin,may God these people the strength to cope !!
thats the result of the new building code developed after hurricane Andrew. But the code is not retroactive so older houses has no chance against a hurricane (and dont get me started with mobile homes)
Where do you start to get rid of the debris. I think someone with a great bunch of knowledge and dedication can lead a team to clean up and start rebuilding. I know I’m really organized and when I have something to do I don’t stop until it’s done. I would like to help with the process.The people deserve to be able to get help.They are regular people like myself and we together can start this process.Look forward to helping 👊🏼God Bless to all
To be honest I can not watch any longer … my heart miss the beats every time watching new footage of destroy and damage sad story Pray for everyone affected by this tragedy Take care and be strong
Looks like they need to create an incinerator and use the refuse to generate electricity. Or if they can separate the wood out, make pellets for pellet stoves.
@@abryant8287 it’s very sad, but the community is standing strong.. the looting out there is nuts.. there is just groups of people walking together with bags of stuff
How do you clean up and rebuild something like that? It looks like the aftermath from a nuclear bomb, I tear up everytime I see footage of the aftermath I pray everyone gets thru this
Yea... logistically.... what do you do with all of that debris.... it looks like maybe 5% might be usable..... where do you put all of that once it's removed? probably got toxins in it... can't dump it in the ocean. Seems to be an impossible task.
You clean up one block at a time. Demolish what's still standing and haul it all away. Very little salvageable with a surge like that. Even if home survived and is habitable, no infrastructure left to make things livable for the foreseeable future. It will take years, if not a decade, for normalcy to return...if there are no more hurricanes in the area.
Praying the Lord Jesus, will give you all those who have suffered lost, the peace which he alone can give, in this time of suffering and pain. Let's put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, he alone will give you strength, and courage in thus trying time. My prayers are with you all.
That would be the new building code developed after hurricane Andrew. the new library @ 3:34, beachfront houses @4:53, light blue house with solar panels @ 6:07, beachfront mansions @ 6:26, the bay facing houses @ 10:36, the house next to Newton Park @12:35 (yes that was a park), the big one @ 18:57 (that one was surrounded by tiny old houses), even the one under construction @ 19:27 is more livable than any older dwelling. Those are structures built up to the new code The code is there but it cant be retroactive older houses had no chance to survive
Wooo am from Cape Coral home owner am so bless w my house 🏡 but as soon I saw this on television fir me was tsunami No matter people saying it was Huracán it clean up our beautiful state 😢 my heart and prayers with my communities , we be stand from this caos in Jesus name !
the new library @ 3:34, beachfront houses @4:53, light blue house with solar panels @ 6:07, beachfront mansions @ 6:26, the bay facing houses @ 10:36, the house next to Newton Park @12:35 (yes that was a park), the big one @ 18:57 (that one was surrounded by tiny old houses), even the one under construction @ 19:27 is more livable than any older dwelling. Those are structures built up to the new code (the one developed after hurricane Andrew) The code is there but it cant be retroactive older houses had no chance to survive
The devastation is just unreal. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost their whole worlds there. And I am praying all of them are fully taken care of and able to rebuild. The loss of life is so horrible. Hurricanes are so terrible becsuse it is impossible to predict where they are going to even make landfall before just hours bbefore they do. #FloridaStrong
I see all the requests for the south side of the island. If anyone wants to contribute a boat tomorrow (Thursday) I will shoot the rest of the island. We had planned today but due to the Governor and POTUS visiting there are flight restrictions up and no flights are allowed.
And by contribute, I mean take us out, not give it to us.
@@WxChasing oh scuse me. Merely giving you a boat isn’t good enough? I saw boats strewn everywhere there. Go grab one of those Chaser.
@@hoosierbaddy3052 could be misconstrued as theft.
Thanks so much for posting this. We have a place in the Sandarac (6662) across for Santini Plaza that I think is now gone.
Thanks for your fantastic work, and I hope you'll be able to do a south side video. My family has had a place there since 1981, and my wife and I love it. We're wondering about the building with my mom's condo, the Santini Plaza, 7-11, movie theater, etc.
First I want to say thank you for sharing this. Stay humble and kind ppl. It’s easy to say “why didn’t ppl leave?” As a former Floridian that experienced multiple hurricanes including Ivan in 2004. It’s easy for others to say you should have done this or that but let’s remember that not all of us are fortunate to be able to get up and go. Ian was not predicted to make a direct hit to this area which means these residents did not prepare for a full on direct hit. My heart goes out to all of you! The weather is very unpredictable no matter how advanced the technology is you just never know.
As someone that has been in more hurricanes than all but a handful of people on the planet I just hope people understand that it can happen to them. We see repeatedly people saying they have been through this hurricane and that hurricane, therefore they aren't worried about the current threat. The truth is, very few people have experienced the eye-wall of a Category 4 hurricane but many millions think they have because they went a few days without power in the past 50 miles from ground zero. Miles matter in a hurricane and past experiences give so many a very false sense of security. As for the 15' storm surge (maybe 18'), this is not as uncommon as many think. This is similar or less than with Hurricane Laura, Ida and Michael just in the last 5 years. Surge can get much higher, particularly along the gulf coast. In extreme cases it could even get twice as high as what was witnessed with Ian.
I’ve lived through Andrew in an apartment in Miami, Irma in my home in Naples and now Ian, I’m 💯 sure the state and local government should have done more to keep safe what was important…LIVES!!!!!!!!!
Most people don't understand the NHC cone. SW Florida was never out the cone. If you are in the 3-day cone, you have equal chances of a direct hit. The center line is not a forecast track, it simply divides the cone, while tying the 12 hour forecast points together. The NHC should remove the black center line all together. It doesn't mater what size storm, there will always be people who choose to stay. We should focus on helping those who want to evacuate but don't have the capacity. For those who choose not to leave but can, all we can do is educate, for starters we could fix the NHC cone.
I was in Fort Myers from that Friday ->late Sunday night. Storm hit Wednesday. The media and officials kept downplaying this storm. I went back and pulled the footage and articles to confirm. Definitely a "Tampa" storm, and they kept saying yes, it'll intensify, but it'll weaken before it hits land. If even as late as Wednesday morning, if officials had said it was going to be a Cat 5 hitting the area, there would have been a mass exodus. Even the saltiest, drunkest fisherman isn't going to hang around for a Cat 5.
In fact, many of the stranded/beached fishing vessels you might have saw were from the Tampa Bay area, as they came down here hoping to avoid the storm.
My own parents rode out the storm on Fort Myers Beach. I couldn't convince them to leave. The only concession they made was to get their cars off the island and to high ground. Truth be told, this was actually a good decision. The building was designed to handle a storm like this. Because of that, they were in their cocoon, isolated from the full fury of the storm outside. They could see the water rising but couldn't hear or feel it. Out of everyone we know, including people inland, they had the smoothest ride. They were never worried. Not the same story for friends I have who rode this out in newer single-family homes on the mainland.
My heart literally hurts watching this footage and seeing the complete destruction of cities and islands. It looks like a war zone 😢 Praying for everyone who is having to deal with this unimaginable loss and the trauma they are suffering 🙏🏻😢❤️
We are at war!!! With the weather!!! Weather manipulation. Weather warfare!!! Believe it or not. It's your choice to believe it or not.
Comments on the devastation aside, this is some of the best drone/camera work I have ever seen. Kudos.
The one and only named storm to hit in 2022 so far. So late into the season as well, can’t believe it happen to be the most destructive in Florida besides Andrew. The raw unpredictability of Mother Nature. She is not happy with this administration and the downhill spiral it’s putting us through. Sometimes a storm like this brings back the care for humanity that we’ve been lacking.
I pray salvation, healing, grace, mercy, healing and miraculous turnaround for Florida in Jesus Name.
Palm trees are the real dinosaurs.
Its really amazing how the newer homes are standing, the new hurricane codes I guess kept them intact. Such a sad sight. Lord Jesus be with those who lost so much.
Just because they arent reduced to nothing doesnt mean they are intact,
@@Jason-..- I have been a Fort Myers resident for 29 years each and every new house is intact, we all knew older houses were on borrowed time. New building codes developed after hurricane Andrew work
Amen
Love from Western Australia 🇦🇺. So so sorry for everyone. Heartbreaking. God bless all those affected.
Perth?
@@djcorvette8375 yes, Perth. Actually your name reminded me, we imported a 1969 corvette convertible with a targa topp, it was electric blue, then we bought a 1979 corvette, it wasn't as nice as the '69 model. We also had a Transam with the big gold eagle on the bonnet, no where near as nice to drive as the 'vettes. Great days. Sorry if I bored you, a little trip down memory lane. ❤
Amazes me how so many people take time out of their day to leave nasty, hateful comments for people that have lost everything. I can't imagine walking around with that much hate inside, must be painful for them. Nobody that had a home or life here deserved it. For the most part FMB had lots of hard working average people that had lives and memories there. Prayers and wishing all better days ahead.
totally agree with you on the nasty side of comments but "For the most part FMB had lots of hard working average people"? really? you just have to see so many snowbirds asking for drone views of their property. Or watch the traffic every morning of people commuting to FMB. Very small number of islanders work for a living
Can you please film the south of the island starting at Big Carlos Pass? NO ONE is showing any footage of that end of the island. Thank you!
I have seen a few different videos. I do not think the damage was as extensive. The way the winds and the storm surge occured the worst damage was done mid island and up. (Not saying there wasn't any damage, just not as extensive)
I think I'm more amazed at what did survive that incredible storm.
I saw one house that survived undamaged
Not sure of the location but it was completely intact even the roof was fine
Everything else around it was completely destroyed
It was only a few years old
I find it amazing that Palm trees are still standing after this hurricane those are some tough trees.
Masterclass in storm resistant design and construction. Stilts are no protection if you have a nailed-together stick structure.
This is the best drone footage of Florida I have seen. Devastating! I lived through HUGO! I know what you Floridians are about to endure over the next 12 months. Help one another or your days will be long and painful. You can't manage alone! "Love your neighbor as you love yourself". May God be with all of you.
Thanks for filming! So very sad! I lived in Fla 19 years. If told to evac, just GO!
This is a storm in which even if every person evacuated it would not have helped the result of this hurricane. The total destruction was going to happen no matter what. And remember they thought this was tracking to hit Tampa head on just a few hours before it made landfall. That's what all models were showing. I agree everybody should always evacuate. But with this storm, where too?
@@Liberty6010and9 As far north as possible. Many evacuation orders went out for coastal areas not in the direct path, both gulf and Atlantic side. The sheer size of the storm should have caused alarm and will hopefully be heeded in future events.
@@Liberty6010and9 evacuation FL is not that hard you just go to the other coast.
It really was a tsunami that hit Fort Meyers. The sea receded in Tampa Bay and when I saw that... I said to myself: OMG! Poor people! It´s unbelievable!
Exactly.
That’s what I’m thinking that’s more then a hurricane
@@loyaltygames8853 Exactly
I too thought its a tsunami the damage tells
People just underestimate what a storm surge can do. Sandy wasn't even a hurricane, it was a severe storm. The horrendous damage was from the surge alone, not the wind.
I was in Fort Myers a week and left a day before the storm hit..nobody was worried at all...everybody thought Ian would hit Tampa..cant believe I was there right before this happened..praying for all u folks down there...terrible what happened.
Just like champlain towers gotta change the way we build.
My sister was on Ft. Myers Beach on Tuesday the day before Ian hit. She was shocked at the number of people just mozying around, not suspecting or preparing. She lives inland, and still got 4.5 feet of water that floated her car away.
Expect the death toll to rise as more of the missing are presumed dead. This footage and your comment about complacency, tells me.
@@Jack-bs7cy and WHERE we build.
@@Birdbike719 lol
Thanks!
This is heartbreaking to see, my heart goes out to all that went thru this and lost so much.
Thank you for filming this for all the residents that cant see their properties. I was looking for footage of Sanibel near Robinwood Cir and W Gulf dr area. So sad for that to happen in such a beautiful area. Praying for all the good folks down there.
thank you for sharing this footage
the amount of destruction is mind blowing
Thank you for posting this. My parents were able to see their house (14:28--the one where you focused straight down and could see the floor tiles of their home and the pool full of debris but no water). They were year-long residents of FMB. Please stay safe.
Best vid of the area anywhere, thank you so much.
It’s heartbreaking to watch but thank you, my heart goes out to all the residents.
Looks like a mobile home park placed right by the ocean in an area frequented by hurricanes. Who knew this would happen.
I see also lots of newer construction survived. However, most seemed to be on the backside of the island. You can tell where storm winds/surge was worse by the damage pattern on the sea facing part of the island.. Trailers had no chance.
every new house (built up to the new "Hurricane Andrew" code) survived with no mayor issues Row of beach front house @ 4:54 did just fine. Mobile homes need to be banned from coastal counties
This Is so heartbreaking 💔 so many lives were lost 😢 it’s is so surreal 🥺 Thank you for sharing, my husband’s grandparents lived there years ago & it still holds a special place in his families hearts 💕 Our thoughts & prayers for all 😢🙏🏼
12:45 The seawall was completely useless and the new construction appears to have withheld from the extremely damaging water. I've said this before, Florida and hurricane prone zones need to prohibit any mobile homes and all future homes and structures need to be updated to Category 5 building techniques and materials particularly water mitigation.
the new library @ 3:34, beachfront houses @4:53, light blue house with solar panels @ 6:07, beachfront mansions @ 6:26, the bay facing houses @ 10:36, the house next to Newton Park @12:35 (yes that was a park), the big one @ 18:57 (that one was surrounded by tiny old houses), even the one under construction @ 19:27 is more livable than any older dwelling. Those are structures built up to the new code (the one developed after hurricane Andrew) The code is there but it cant be retroactive older houses had no chance to survive.
And that tiny wall is not a seawall is designed to stop erosion (and also fails at that)
Prayers for everyone affected by this horrific storm.
Excellent drone video.
Thank you for THE BEST AERIAL FOOTAGE I'VE SEEN TO DATE. YOUR DETAIL IS ASTONISHING! My heart mind body & soul hurt for everyone here who has suffered & are suffering beyond comprehension. God be with all.
Amazing footage to see the extent of the damage. How terrifying for anyone that did not evacuate and rode that storm through. A big job to rebuild and recover from.
Thank you for doing this. I can share our street view with our neighbors. Much appreciated, stay well.
Thank you for the videos! I was wondering if you could do a video of the South part of Fort Myers Beach. Particularly, Estero Beach and Tennis Club condos? We visit family there every year and would like to see video footage of it. If you could do this that would be great!
This won't stop big money from coming in and buying those empty Oceanfront Lots
Amazing video, thank you for showing the areas south of Time Square (where the majority of the video has been shot). There are a lot of FMB homeowners who have been wondering about the status of their homes and neighborhoods and have been desperately watching for video like this. The video skipped our particular area but we could tell that some of the debris that was blocking our path off Estero has been moved since the NOAA satellite pictures from last week. We are so sad for the loss of life and property. I hope you will shoot more video.
Thank you very much for flying this portion of the island. Thanks to you I was finally able see my mom's house in higher res than the NOAA satellite images. Much appreciated.
Thanks! I would like to donate something to your huge effort in showing better quality video than the news stations
Can you please continue South from where you left off to the end of the island!
Awesome job. Up and down the streets like you did let’s property owners know what’s up with their homes.
back in 1961; I was a child this is what our migrant worker shanty town and row houses looked like after hurricane Carla.The thing is whole families disappeared so there was no one left to report the missing and no one searched for the dead. I remember all the empty spaces where the migrant worker rent houses and caravans use to be and hearing my mom screaming: "They'are all gone where are they?"
- Carla was the hurricane that wiped out so much of Galveston. My family went there for the summer just afterwards and we were told of the big wooden rollercoaster and hotel piers that were destroyed! Carla must have been a bad one. I think we went there in 1963. Love to all who suffer in horrible hurricanes ♥️
A true American horror story. Heart breaking. These disadvantaged communities and human beings are always the forgotten ones.
Horribly traumatic,😪😭sad, hope people truly serve the LORD, Safest place to be now.
Where were you at? I remember seeing nothing but slabs at my relatives small Carancahua Bay subdivision, about 15 miles north of the Gulf, across Matagorda Bay from Port O"Connor where she hit on 9 11,1961. There was debris hanging from the country high lines and a lot of rattle snakes on the roads. Lucky that the Mother of Hurricanes, Carla, hit in the sparsely populated area about 125 miles west of Galveston, Tx. If Carla had hit Corpus Christi or Galveston directly, there would have been nothing but slabs there, and Houston would have been clobbered too.
It's debatable whether Carla, was a Cat 5 or 4 having 175 mph gusts at Port Lavaca, and later down graded to Cat 4 sustained 145 winds, but what made her really bad was her size. Her 250 mile radius with outer bands from Corpus Christi to Louisana, and doing damage all the way up to Greenland. Her size also put out tidal surges reported as high as 18.5 feet.
Yeah, I was born in ‘60 so I’ve only HEARD about it. We lived in Alvin, Tx..just down the road from Galveston.
its pretty sad .. it looked like the whole place was nuked and just got obliterated in a war (war zone). Soo sad ... 😢😥.. our hearts, prayers and thoughts go out to all who suffered and were caught up in this catastrophe. We pray for your recovery to be speedy. 🙏🙏 stay strong.
It’s JUST UNBELIEVABLE the amount of ‘TRAILERS’/ MOBILE homes..ON the coast!? Asking for trouble..
Splendid coverage and thanks for not emblazoning it.
Thank you ❤️ for this video showing the devastation. There are SO MANY counties, towns, cities affected, and even STILL flooding occurring "down river" a week later adding insult to injury. Woe. Tragic. Not everyone that had homes there are wealthy. MANY were regular folks on minimum wage jobs who "serviced" the Florida tourist & vacation industry. They lived in inexpensive housing because that's all they can afford. They lost not only their meager homes but their jobs too. Devastating for them.... just cleanup & debris removal will be a monumental task.
And the mosquitos will be everywhere. And no power.
Well said! I wish more people would see that.. maybe if the mainstream mwdia would focus on those people as well.
@@TheDustysix
I finally got power today...
No one that is living on the beach in a home is on minimum wage.
@@youtubejunky7481 You know how big this storm was? It didn't just hit the beaches.. It even flooded Orlando across the state.
wow just wow! my heart goes out to all affected
Why are people so surprised? These are barrier islands. They are supposed to take the brunt. People should not be living there.
And yet US funds will be allocated to rebuilding within the storm surge zone - it’s just insane
What is the worst are people that are not insured. Those big boats, they'll just get another one. Those who have nothing and lost their job, that's hard. I went through one hurricane. It blew away the house around me. By God's grace I was in the bathroom with my dog, with a single mattress over our heads... we lived but we were there 3 days before we saw anyone but the one neighbor he was there because he had no car and his dog. My car was in the shop. I left Florida. I won't go there during hurricane season. I live in PA now!
God Bless everyone, especially the elderly!!!!! Wishing lots of strength, support, and resources for a speedy transition into new or old accomodations!!!!! Prayers for strength to make it through this most difficult time !!!!! God send your incredible healing power to everyone in Florida!!!!!!
Thank you. Many, many years ago my grandmother had two ocean-facing condos right on the beach there. Heart wrenching.
Deepest sympathy. But why USA is Adani on war with Russia. Negotiate and stop from escalating into WW3.
Wow! It’s crazy how many houses and neighborhoods are just washed away. Thank you for sharing.
You stopped too early!!! Looking for footage from where you stopped to Santini plaza and fish tale marina. Also looking for footage of the Wyndham Great footage though! Thanks for taking the time to do this.
I managed to get nearly every structure from the north tip to where I stopped in this video. I will try to finish it off in the coming days.
Thank you for this coverage. Would you please do coverage of Bokeelia?
Oh gosh….. my heart is breaking. We need to help Florida and unify as a country. I am so sad. Sending love from California. Sending love to friends living in Naples. I was so worried about my friends living through the storm. I visited Orlando for a conference and went to Disney World. Orlando people were so nice and kind. I just can’t believe how bad this is.
Lol 😆.....
Mother Nature's Beautification
Thank you for doing this, do you have footage from the far south of the island?
Unreal footage belongs on tv great job
I've been through quite a few hurricanes in my life and I've never seen anything on the scale of this destruction before. Wow
I absolutely agree with you. I was in Miami during hurricane Andrew. I think Ian massive water surge was worst.
Thank you for this video.
Never be the same..my heart breaks for all people who lost all..God bless
Is there any chance you could do the south end of the island? There's no footage anywhere for that area and I and many others have properties in that end and we have no idea if the buildings are still standing.
oh my goodness that's INSANE. Hope you find out soon. Whoa.
ft myers elementary had water to almost top of the front doors… unfortunately, houses- if standing- would still have significant damage.
@@dmalka336 It's not my residence, just a time share I have for the month of March, still a significant investment though. The building itself is raised on concrete pillars, the first floor is about 12 feet above grade so there's a fair chance it survived catastrophic damage. Time will tell... I feel bad for those who lost their homes. that has to be horrible. But my now-deceased mother bough those 30 years ago so there's lots of memories there.
@@SSHitMan I truly hope it’s okay and you find out asap 🙏🙏🙏
I'm a minute in to this video and my heart is pounding. Amazing pile of junk represents the whole earthly belongings of thousands of families. Their cherished family memorabilia and hard work in life destroyed. The house isn't where we left it? Whaaat,!?!
Where do they live now? How can miles of rubble be dealt with? My fear......it gets dumped into our deep oceans to pollute our planet. We pray for Peace to come for these survivors of Ian. May God bring them a better renewal of their lives.
Looks like a war zone..
So sad!!! I'm living in Florida and I'm so blessed because Ian was projected to hit us head on... Many Blessings to all of South West Florida... Thank you to the best Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis.you are the bomb...
Look who's suffering now. And you praise a Liar manipulator who plays with people's lives. FLA LOOK At you NOW! We All suffer but some only value Money. NOW your Arrogant lives litter and poison the land with Ridiculous Boats and buildings. FINGER OF GOD TO TEACH AND HUMBLE DeSantis and all of FLA.
What did he do??? Is he giving the poor money to rebuild???
?? DeSantis? The guy who wanted to refuse aid to Hurricane Sandy victims? Sorry (not sorry), not a fan.
We in FMB were hit pretty much head on, so I have a somewhat different perspective. Let's see DeSantis ask for money now--you know, that 'Socialist' money he claims other hurricane victims don't need if they're not in his voting bloc.
@@XXX_xxxxxxxx You got it--if he has the opportunity, he'll screw them per usual.
@@XXX_xxxxxxxx FEMA will. But I don't think he has slept. He has been going for a week.
Beyond sad its total devastation! I would never rebuild cut my losses and get out.Its only a matter of time until it happens again The cleanup alone could take at least 2 years
where do you dump 3,500 houses worth of trash ?
could the wood be sent to a trash to energy plant or used in a coal fire power station ?
Thank-you for video. I'm seeing so much more devastation.
Homeowners, busnisses will certainly require this info
When I got out of the army five years ago, I didn't know how to find my feet, so I was lost and I didn'teven speak to my family. I found a little farm in Fort Myers, met a girl, and stayed there for three years.
When I look back on those days, I see it through a filter of sunshine and gold, because they were the best three years of my life. The farm is now destroyed, and Fort Myers is too.
It's taken a few days for it to really hit, but last night it finally hit me and I cried for the first time in a long time. I'm not sure what to do, but I know my friends need my help and I know that so many people will never be found.
I learned this morning that people were calling their families, screaming for help as their homes broke up before being sucked into the sea forever.
The beachcombers are going have a bonanza
I heard if you comb the beach with a metal detector after a hurricane, you can find some cool treasures.
looters will be shot according to the sheriff..
@@jeanetteshawredden5643 there's a guy who looks for metal jewelry on yt for people who have lost sentimental items on beaches. He finds them and returns them to their owner. He's amazing.
Seen this total destruction terrifies me as a person who has lived in South Florida my entire life. I recently thought about what would happen if something like this happened to Turkey Point the Nuclear Plant in Miami. I think about what happened in Japan with the tsunami.
It is so bad at the north end of Fort Myers Beach just because this is where the SOUTHERN EYEWALL came ashore from the ocean. EVERYWHERE else there would be diminishing damage because it was not where the onshore wind had the highest speed and the central part of the hurricane had the lowest air pressure. The southeast part of Ivan would have the highest wind speed here because it went northeast, so you add up both the wind speed at the eyewall AND the forward speed of the hurricane along its path.
It probably also was worsened because the flow of ocean water bought about by the western eyewall curved along Sanibel island and was pushed very forcefully onshore on northern Ft. Myers Beach just because of the location and shape of Sanibel.
storm surge got the whole island, newer houses at the north end did ok
Thank you
This is why you shouldnt be allowed to build on barrier islands or along beachside ..they need to ban any build back on the barrier islands and along the beach ..need to return it to its natural being the way it was made to be ...these barrier islands and dunes are there for reason and living on them isnt it ....
😢🙏 Just so devastating, and unbelievable. Prayers for all of these families.
10:55 that's our house. Or was. Thank you for uploading in 4k
we were there in August for our 4th wedding anniversary, we got married on the beach behind Lani Kai, we have been staying for past 10 yrs at Estero Beach and Tennis club. every drone footage we have scene. stops where yours did. hoping to see one continue dow to the end of the island. was wondering about Santini Plaza. EBTC and other places. FMB will come back stronger
I wish i could take a year off to go help
Time to move inland.
I saw a dome home that looked untouched. Maybe they will rebuild some of those. I heard they resist storms well.
What do You expect when park a trailer near the beach? You have two options, buy trailer, Finance it with insurance, or buy trailer outright, no insurance, and take a gamble.
It cost lots of money to live in a hurricane zone, just a fact.
To think a week ago people were going about their lives enjoying the beautiful area that they lived in and now the devastation is beyond belief it goes on and on for miles,my thought is where do you begin,may God these people the strength to cope !!
Prayers sent to y’all in Florida.
It's so interesting to see some places still intact and others are completely devestated.
newer homes are built stronger
thats the result of the new building code developed after hurricane Andrew. But the code is not retroactive so older houses has no chance against a hurricane (and dont get me started with mobile homes)
Beyond believable…my prayers for all involved!
Where do you start to get rid of the debris. I think someone with a great bunch of knowledge and dedication can lead a team to clean up and start rebuilding. I know I’m really organized and when I have something to do I don’t stop until it’s done. I would like to help with the process.The people deserve to be able to get help.They are regular people like myself and we together can start this process.Look forward to helping 👊🏼God Bless to all
To be honest I can not watch any longer … my heart miss the beats every time watching new footage of destroy and damage sad story
Pray for everyone affected by this tragedy
Take care and be strong
thinking of u such a horrible devastating situation thank u for video from 🇦🇺
Looks like they need to create an incinerator and use the refuse to generate electricity. Or if they can separate the wood out, make pellets for pellet stoves.
There must be a lot of opportunity for businesses in reclamation.
Thank you.. I got to see my house finally
It's standing?
@@abryant8287 some of it
@@abryant8287 my first story is gone completely
@@QU33N_B33_ so sorry. Used to live and work on fmb. It's all so sad 😞
@@abryant8287 it’s very sad, but the community is standing strong.. the looting out there is nuts.. there is just groups of people walking together with bags of stuff
How do you clean up and rebuild something like that? It looks like the aftermath from a nuclear bomb, I tear up everytime I see footage of the aftermath I pray everyone gets thru this
Yea... logistically.... what do you do with all of that debris.... it looks like maybe 5% might be usable..... where do you put all of that once it's removed? probably got toxins in it... can't dump it in the ocean. Seems to be an impossible task.
Just like you eat an elephant. One piece at a time. Gonna take months or even years in some places.
You clean up one block at a time. Demolish what's still standing and haul it all away. Very little salvageable with a surge like that. Even if home survived and is habitable, no infrastructure left to make things livable for the foreseeable future. It will take years, if not a decade, for normalcy to return...if there are no more hurricanes in the area.
It is like magic. The houses complete disappeared and just slabs were left.
Praying the Lord Jesus, will give you all those who have suffered lost, the peace which he alone can give, in this time of suffering and pain. Let's put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, he alone will give you strength, and courage in thus trying time. My prayers are with you all.
uh, why is there losses? who allowed it?
And that’s why I live in Cali!!
3:40 there are still a few construction companies that are next level.
That would be the new building code developed after hurricane Andrew. the new library @ 3:34, beachfront houses @4:53, light blue house with solar panels @ 6:07, beachfront mansions @ 6:26, the bay facing houses @ 10:36, the house next to Newton Park @12:35 (yes that was a park), the big one @ 18:57 (that one was surrounded by tiny old houses), even the one under construction @ 19:27 is more livable than any older dwelling. Those are structures built up to the new code The code is there but it cant be retroactive older houses had no chance to survive
I would not rebuild. Thus place is no longer a town.its devastating.
I live in Tampa. I evacuated to Orlando because it was supposed to come to us.my heart goes out to everybody hit by the hurricane
Wooo am from Cape Coral home owner am so bless w my house 🏡 but as soon I saw this on television fir me was tsunami No matter people saying it was Huracán it clean up our beautiful state 😢 my heart and prayers with my communities , we be stand from this caos in Jesus name !
The fact the we see cars near some of these destroyed homes indicate that people were there and didn't evacuate?
Unless they, you know, owned more than one car...
Combien de décès ? Vous êtes des personnes très très courageuses
Thé houses in Florida need to be built with concrete cinder blocks and circular. No more wood houses built in a rectangle or square.😢
the new library @ 3:34, beachfront houses @4:53, light blue house with solar panels @ 6:07, beachfront mansions @ 6:26, the bay facing houses @ 10:36, the house next to Newton Park @12:35 (yes that was a park), the big one @ 18:57 (that one was surrounded by tiny old houses), even the one under construction @ 19:27 is more livable than any older dwelling. Those are structures built up to the new code (the one developed after hurricane Andrew) The code is there but it cant be retroactive older houses had no chance to survive
Go to Florida to retire, they said. Live on the beach, they said.
Great Camera work! Thanks for showing us how bad it really is at ground zero
Hopefully people will help out anyway they can
The devastation is just unreal. My heart goes out to all of those who have lost their whole worlds there. And I am praying all of them are fully taken care of and able to rebuild. The loss of life is so horrible. Hurricanes are so terrible becsuse it is impossible to predict where they are going to even make landfall before just hours bbefore they do. #FloridaStrong
I enjoyed my 25 years partying and boating to Ft Myers Beach from Bonita and Naples….this was my waterway! Do you have any footage from Coconut Point?