Hurricane Ian live Thursday updates: Two confirmed deaths on Sanibel Island
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9:11 p.m. | Relief, exhaustion, terror: Sanibel residents tell stories of rescue
Yolande Welch — 95, feisty, with a bandaged leg and an injured shoulder — sat at the Port Sanibel marina with a Sanibel firefighter’s hand on her shoulder.
He asked her if she needed an ambulance. She demurred. Firefighters and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officers had rescued her from Sanibel earlier in the day after a harrowing struggle against the storm, and she had plenty to say about it.
“It was hell,” Welch said. “I’ve been through five hurricanes, and this is the worst one.”
8:59 p.m. | Fort Myers boaters survive Ian's wrath
Richard Sanderson planned to ride out Hurricane Ian on his boat Sweat Dreams docked on slip A22 of the Fort Myers Yacht Basin. It didn’t end up that way.
“I didn’t have Sweet Dreams last night,” said Sanderson, 70.
But he was fortunate as the only boat that was docked on the A Dock to survive the storm.
7:27 p.m. | Two confirmed deaths on Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island officials confirmed that two people are dead following Hurricane Ian.
They spoke Thursday night, in their first news conference. They said they had at least 200 households that remained on the island during the storm, with the possibility of multiple people at each home.
They evacuated at least 40 who were not injured and took 12 people to hospitals.
The council, island manager and police chief and staff are working from The Crowne Plaza in Fort Myers, and hope to extend their time past Sunday.
7:22 p.m. | Lee school super says schools to be assessed Friday
Superintendent Christopher Bernier said Thursday evening schools may not be open come Monday. This district is assessing schools on Friday.
The district will evaluate its instructional calendar to decide what dates will be used as hurricane make-up days.
The school district said it will continue to monitor the storm and update families regularly with emails, phones calls, text messages, messages on its website and posts on its Facebook page.
6:36 p.m. | Search and Rescue volunteer jumps into action
Curtis Drafton was still wearing his waders and life preserver as he patrolled by Joe’s Crab Shack on West First Street in downtown Fort Myers Thursday afternoon.
The emergency search and rescue volunteer has been through many storms during his 10 years of service and said Hurricane Michael that hit the Panhandle in 2018 was the worst, but he’ll remember Hurricane Ian as the weirdest.
Drafton, the founder of US Veterans Hall of Fame, and his team of volunteers from North Carolina arrived around 1 p.m. Wednesday and was sent right to work around downtown Fort Myers, making 19 water rescues and two home rescues.
“As soon as we landed up here we had three rescue calls. They were like we need you guys now, so yeah, I got like tons of experience in my first couple hours,” Drafton said.
Read more from Drafton: Experienced search and rescue volunteer won't forget "weird" Hurricane Ian
“I learned my lesson … I’m not going to even be on my boat during a tropical storm.” Fort Myers Beach who was rescued after Hurricane Ian. @TheNewsPress @ndn pic.twitter.com/ocSmT3NOrD
— Janine Zeitlin (@Janinezeitlin) September 29, 2022
6:54 p.m. | Man rescued from Sanibel: 'I'm an idiot'
Paul Cragg, 55, watched Hurricane Ian unfold from his third-story condo at the Sundial Resort in Sanibel Island, Florida. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, but Cragg and his wife make frequent trips to Sanibel.
They were married on Sanibel Island 10 years ago. They planned a trip to celebrate their anniversary there this week. Cragg decided to come despite the storm. His wife backed out.
“I actually thought it wouldn’t be that big of deal and I was wrong,” Cragg said. “Now I see I’m an idiot.”
He came to that realization around 3 p.m. on Wednesday as water rose around the condo buildings.
“That’s when the other units were starting to blow out. I saw the walls coming down, windows come out like Frisbees, air conditioners coming off the roof just like boxes. It was intense to say the least.”
Thursday morning, he left his unit and saw devastation but also the natural beauty Sanibel is famous for. Shells everywhere and “birds having a heyday, just eating everything that had gotten washed up.”
He waved down a Coast Guard helicopter on Sanibel Beach and was airlifted to shelter. Inside, he had company: three dogs and five other people.
-Janine Zeitlin
6:04 p.m. | Couple rescued from house boat
Fort Myers Beach couple rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter after surviving Hurricane Ian on their house boat. pic.twitter.com/6WnZIekzh9
— Janine Zeitlin (@Janinezeitlin) September 29, 2022
5:13 p.m. | Lee County closed bridge between Fort Myers and Bonita beaches
Lee County Department of Transportation is closing Big Hickory Pass Bridge due to damage from Hurricane Ian.
The closure of the bridge, which is on the south end of Estero Island between Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach, is effective immediately.
During a bridge inspection today, engineers identified deficiencies, leading to the closure. Lee DOT is working with the Florida Department of Transportation.
5:06 p.m. | Lee Health evacuating 400 patients to Collier hospitals
Lee Health is evacuating up to 400 patients to hospitals in Collier County because of water pressure losses at two of its campuses.
More patients will be transferred in the coming days as beds are found, said Dr. Larry Antonucci, president and chief executive officer of Lee Health.
The NCH Healthcare System will get some of the patients and some will be transferred to Physicians Regional Healthcare System, Antonucci said.
Ian verses Charley: Hurricane Ian vs. Hurricane Charley: Ian potentially 'catastrophic' for Florida, forecasters say
The evacuations are from Gulf Coast Medical Center off Daniels Parkway and from HealthPark Medical Center in south Fort Myers because of a significant drop in water pressure at both campuses, he said.
4:39 p.m. | County has been "hit very hard."
Lee County gave an update on the search and recovery efforts Thursday afternoon.
"In all these years in Lee County I have not seen damage like this from a storm like this," Lee County Manager Roger Dejarlais said.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the county has been "hit very hard."
"There are no words that can describe what we saw. Fort Myers Beach... no words to describe it, it looks large a large tornado did go through it.," Marceno said.
There are many places emergency response crews have not been able to reach.
4:29 p.m. | South Fort Myers: Water is knee-deep
Joy McCormack stood across the road from Davis Street, a stretch of mobile homes, town houses and condos in the Iona area of south Fort Myers, now completely covered in knee-deep flood waters. She watched her neighbors wade to and from their homes, hoping to salvage something from the deluge.
“I think mine is going to be a total loss,” McCormack said. “It’s the only house I have and if it’s gone…”
She trailed off.
4:09 p.m. | 'Fort Myers Beach is gone'
For Mitch Stough and his brother Mike, Fort Myers Beach was their livelihood.
Now it’s been utterly destroyed, they said in an interview Thursday morning.
“7-Eleven’s gone. The Whale’s gone. All the restaurants are gone,” Mitch told The News-Press. “The whole entire Times Square is gone. It’s leveled.”
Fort Myers Beach, along with Lee County’s other barrier islands, took the brunt of Hurricane Ian’s assault on Florida’s coastline. The storm, a Category 4 when it made landfall, sent 150 mph winds and a towering storm surge tearing through the town’s center.
4:04 p.m. |Coast Guard rescues Fort Myers Beach couple who survived Ian
Bob and Charlene Johnson felt fairly confident facing Hurricane Ian on their 35-foot cabin cruiser in a bay on Fort Myers Beach.
The couple has lived on the boat since 1998 and have survived multiple hurricanes. Storms they were on a first-name basis with. Charley. Irma.
“This one got us,” said Bob Johnson, 62.
“It was a rough go,” said Charlene, 59. “It was a lot windier and worse than we expected it to be. The ride from the marina to the mangroves was very unexpected.”
3:40 p.m. | Governor visits Lee County EOC
According to the Lee County sheriff's website: "Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis are visiting the emergency operations center in Fort Myers to discuss the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian."
Governor Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis are visiting the emergency operations center in Fort Myers to discuss the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. pic.twitter.com/7Dk6UUIRy8
— Carmine Marceno - Florida’s Law and Order Sheriff (@SheriffLeeFL) September 29, 2022
3:29 New photos from Fort Myers Beach, Iona-McGregor
The News-Press photographer Andrew West captured these photos
2:22 p.m. | Significant rescue efforts underway in two counties
FL Division of Emergency Management: "Search & Rescue Update: As of 2:00 PM (EST), more than 500 individuals have been rescued in Charlotte & Lee Counties since operations began this morning. Search & Rescue efforts are ongoing in impacted areas."
2:14 p.m. Info from the state about shelter in place
Florida Division of Emergency Management "As of this morning we have received over 15,000 responses to our Shelter in Place survey. If you are sheltering in place, we encourage you to go to http://FloridaDisaster.org/Report & complete it. Reminder: This is NOT a substitute for 911." https://twitter.com/FLSERT/status/1575500875161776132?s=20&t=Ahe95XY1rvBqFVoPmdnQKQ
2:03 p.m. | Flood footage in downtown Fort Myers from Tik Tok
1:57 p.m. | Generator safety tips
Generator safety tips from LCEC
For customers planning using a generator, safety is of the utmost importance. Please consider the following tips to keep you, your family, and utility workers safe while using a generator:
Don’t connect your generator directly to your home’s wiring at the breaker panel or meter or a regular household outlet. Connecting a portable electric generator directly to your household wiring can be deadly to you and others. A generator that is directly connected to your home’s wiring can ‘back feed’ onto the power lines connected to your home. You could also cause expensive damage to utility equipment and your generator.
The only safe way to connect a portable electric generator to your existing wiring is to have a licensed electrical contractor install a transfer switch. The transfer switch transfers power from the utility power lines to the power coming from your generator.
Connect individual appliances that have their outdoor-rated power cords directly to the receptacle outlet of the generator, or connect these cord-connected appliances to the generator with the appropriate outdoor-rated power cord having a sufficient wire gauge to handle the electrical load.
Don’t overload the generator. Do not operate more appliances and equipment than the output rating of the generator. Overloading your generator can seriously damage your valuable appliances and electronics. Prioritize your needs. A portable electric generator should be used only when necessary, and only to power essential equipment.
Never use a generator indoors or in an attached garage. Just like your automobile, a portable generator uses an internal combustion engine that emits deadly carbon monoxide. Be sure to place the generator where exhaust fumes will not enter the house, in a well-ventilated, dry area, away from air intakes to the home, and protected from direct exposure to rain, preferably under a canopy, open shed or carport.
Do not store fuel indoors or try to refuel a generator while it’s running. Gasoline (and other flammable liquids) should be stored outside of living areas in properly labeled, non-glass safety containers. They should not be stored in a garage if a fuel-burning appliance is in the garage. The vapor from gasoline can travel invisibly along the ground and be ignited by pilot lights or electric arcs caused by turning on the lights. Avoid spilling fuel on hot components. Always have a fully charged, approved fire extinguisher located near the generator.
Turn off all equipment powered by the generator before shutting down your generator.
9 a.m. | Sanibel Causeway, Pine Island bridge damaged from storm, DeSantis says
The causeway to Sanibel Island and the Pine Island bridge are not passible and are in need of structural rebuilds, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday morning.
More than 100 engineers in pairs of two will work to assess the bridges along the west coast of Florida, DeSantis said.
At this time, for Lee County, DeSantis said it's going to take time to get the power back on due to the need to rebuild structures. He said resources are currently heading to Southwest Florida including 100 portable cell towers and 300 truckloads of food and water.
"The damage done is historic," DeSantis said. "This is just from initial assessments. We have never seen a flood event like this. We have never seen storm surge of this magnitude. There's going to be a lot of work to do."
As of 9 a.m., Interstate 75 through Alligator Alley is open and traffic is moving, according to DeSantis. Crews are still assessing the stretch of I-75 in Lee County. North of Lee County, I-75 is open.
A major disaster declaration has been declared for nine Florida counties including Lee and Collier. This means individuals will be able to get assistance from FEMA. DeSantis recommended taking photos of water lines in homes.
"Today we are identifying those still in harm's way and start rebuilding," he said.
See photos: Aerial views of Hurricane Ian damage to Lee County
A section of the Sanibel Causeway has collapsed. It's the only way for vehicles to enter/exit Sanibel & Captiva. #Ian pic.twitter.com/Sfqhf94ju2
— Bryan Bennett (@weatherbryan) September 29, 2022
8:49 a.m. | LCSO says jail inmates safe following Ian
The Lee County Sheriff's Office confirmed Wednesday night that inmates in the Lee County Jail facilities are safe.
The two facilities are at 2115 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 2501 Ortiz Avenue.
Officials said in an abundance of caution, inmates were relocated within the main jail to a higher floor.
7:28 a.m. | Search, rescue efforts underway in Lee County
The Lee County Sheriff's Office said early Thursday that it has commenced search and rescue efforts for those stranded by Hurricane Ian.
"Our Mobile Command Center is ready to respond and assist with search and rescue along with our other assets. We are here for our community," Lee County Sheriff's Office wrote on Facebook just before 7 a.m.
Officials also warned residents of the road hazards from debris, fallen trees, and downed powerline. In addition, many traffic lights are currently out.
To ease traffic, they said many intersections will be treated as four-way stops. At four-way stops, the first vehicle to stop should move forward first. If two vehicles reach the intersection at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
They added to avoid traveling on the road unless absolutely necessary. They will have deputies deployed throughout the county
12:38 a.m. | Nearly 268,000 Lee FPL customers remain without power
Lee County early Thursday remained the Florida county with the most residents without power. FPL reported on its website Power Tracker that 267,720 Lee customers had no power while it has restored power to 16,180. Nearly 284,000 Lee customers lost electricity Wednesday when Hurricane Ian made landfall at Cayo Costa in the county.
In Collier County, 202,300 FPL customers lost power and 185,420 still have none. Electricity has been restored to 16,880 Collier customers.
FPL reported that nearly 1.5 million customers lost power when the hurricane hit. Electricity has been restored in Florida to 363,310 customers while about 1.1 million still have none.
Hurricane resources and links
Hurricane Ian: How to donate to Florida Disaster Fund
When is it safe to go outside? Do not leave your home or shelter until emergency officials tell you it’s safe
More: See damage done by Hurricane Ian in videos showing storm surges, Category 4 winds
And: See traffic and beach conditions in Fort Myers, Cape Coral as Hurricane Ian nears Florida
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Live updates: Fort Myers, Lee County begin post-Hurricane Ian recovery
