Lazy flamingo sanibel hurricane series#

There is worry this spike in interest will bring changing norms of development as high damage costs force previous owners to move.

Moreover, the location has recently become a tourist destination for its incredible shelling and relaxed, adorable town. Sanibel has not seen this level of destruction in decades. My mom and I were devastated to see it being used to field trash, and it made us wonder what would come of the land following the hurricane.Īcross the island, there is worry for the future. The people of Sanibel had raised money to conserve the land and had reached their goal before the hurricane. One site had been an ongoing fight between developers and conservationists because the area was a nesting site for bald eagles. These sites were previously wooded and protected areas that had been wiped clear for mountains of trash. There were piles of debris lining the sidewalks everywhere we went, which large semis would scoop up by a crane to dump in the back of their truck to take to designated dump sites.

The water glowed iridescent and uninhabitable. As we rode along, there were doors in stuck in the branches of trees, couches and all their cushions, miscellaneous trash, splatters of paint along the sidewalk, bottles of bleach and cleaning products left open in the bayou after being dumped by the strong winds. Many places we went to were destroyed or abandoned, including the Sanibel-Captiva General Store and the Lazy Flamingo, a staple restaurant. We took a bike ride down the island to see the changes at some of our favorite spots. Now, we could see across the street where there once stood a wall of thick trees and bushes, but which was replaced by an apocalyptic field of tan sticks drying in the sun, going on for what seemed to be miles across the bayou. In the morning, looking out from my grandma’s porch, her sea grape tree (which used to sprawl the extent of the yard and was filled with orchids hanging from the branches and leaves that glowed in the sun) was reduced to a small stump. Although we had seen some pictures and videos, we didn’t understand the extent of the damage. The morning after we arrived, my family and I wanted to see the state of the island. We are lucky that my grandma’s house was kept in tack I saw many houses that were completely destroyed or had large chunks of roof, porches, or walls missing, replaced by blue tarps that flapped in the wind. Buildings were dark and abandoned and the streets were silent of birdcalls and empty of the carefree vibes of vacation. Instead, we entered a barren island with piles of trash and branches carefully cleared from main stretches of road. It was not the trip I was used to, which is normally filled with bike rides to town for a cup of coffee, kayak trips on the bayou, long beach walks collecting shells, watching ospreys and pelicans scoop up fish from the sea, and trips to the local farmer’s market. We went to support my grandma and the place we love so much. I returned to Sanibel three months following the catastrophe. The only way for Sanibel residents to access their homes was chartering a trip by boat or helicopter. Following the hurricane, there was little communication with the island because the causeway connecting it to the mainland had been destroyed. The storm dumped saltwater into freshwater areas, which will affect ecosystems regrowth for freshwater species and trees experiencing high salt levels in soil.

It also caused a toxic algae bloom that decimated fish populations and impacted ecosystems for those animals left. Hurricane Ian peeled up pavement, dumped boats, refrigerators, and chemicals in the trees and water ways. I heard many stories from my grandmother and her friends of residents who were forced to signal from the roof of their houses for help from helicopters doing search and rescue. Although the community prepared, Hurricane Ian struck hard. It came on the tails of Hurricane Fiona which struck Puerto Rico and left much of the island without power.

Lazy flamingo sanibel hurricane series#

This past fall, Southwest Florida was hit with a high category 4 hurricane, the latest in a series of intense weather events exacerbated by climate change. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. 75% of the land is nature reserve maintained through organizations such as the J.N. I love the island for its parks, beaches, and wonderful community, which promotes an enjoyment of nature and conservation of its beauty. It’s a place we visit every year because my grandparents have had a house there since the 80s. Over winter break, I went with my family to Sanibel Island, just off the coast of Fort Myers in Southwest Florida.