In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, many residents of an island in Florida have been left without power and other resources for days as they wait for the only bridge to the mainland to be repaired.
Pine Island, the largest of the barrier islands off Florida’s Gulf Coast, has been largely cut off from the outside world after Ian severely damaged its causeway and left its towns accessible only by boat or air.
“As a community, we feel like if we leave the island, if we abandon it, no one is going to address the issue of repairing our road in and out,” said Pine Island resident Leslie Arias, as a small boat delivered water and other basic supplies. .
A week after the Category 4 storm hit Southwest Florida, the full extent of its destruction is still unclear. Utility workers were still working Wednesday to restore power and rescuers were searching for people who might still be trapped inside flooded or damaged homes, as hurricane-related deaths rose to 84.
At least 75 people have died in Florida, five in North Carolina, three in Cuba and one in Virginia, since Ian made landfall on the West Indian island on September 27, a day before reaching Florida’s Gulf Coast. After moving northeast into the Atlantic, the hurricane made landfall again in South Carolina and from there to the mid-Atlantic states.
There have been deaths in car crashes, drownings, and accidents. A man drowned after being trapped under a vehicle. Another was trapped as he tried to climb out of a window. And a woman died after being knocked out by a gust of wind as she smoked outside her home as the storm approached, authorities said.
In Lee County, Florida, the hardest hit, the 45 people killed were over 50 years old.
President Joe Biden was to visit Fort Myers on Wednesday in an area that was especially devastated by winds and storm surge.
Many vessels, including large yachts, were washed inland, far from their mooring points. Homes and businesses are in ruins with shattered windows, surrounded by mud and debris.
The Biden administration said the president has made additional disaster aid available to Florida, including debris cleanup and emergency protective measures.
Restoring electricity has become a priority, but car access from the barrier islands to the mainland is also a priority. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said a temporary bridge to Pine Island should be completed by the end of the week.
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Bobby Caina Calvan in Fort Myers, Florida, contributed to this report.