'It's like a war': FMB resident living in trailer shares Ian struggles as town braces

Christine Willis was among the Fort Myers Beach residents who on Monday began packing up, preparing to leave the barrier island ahead of what was expected to become Hurricane Idalia.

Christine Willis said in November 2022, more than a month after Hurricane Ian slammed into the island, she "came back to nothing." Her three-story home was gone.

Since then, she and her husband, Dewitt Willis, have been renting a trailer as they wait to rebuild.

Christine Willis recounted her struggles, her voice at one point fading as she shed tears. As she spoke, she pointed at where her home once stood, the island showing its scars in various stages of healing.

Local authorities on Monday morning recommended that other residents take similar precautions to the Willis.

What are lessons Fort Myers Beach officials learned since Ian?

Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers said one of the biggest lessons Hurricane Ian taught them was communication.

"We did learn after Ian that things can change overnight," Allers said.

Town Manager Andy Hyatt said they're preparing for the worst while they hope for the best. He said they're expecting a high tide and a full moon.

Hyatt said all the town's vehicles are being taken off the island.

How can residents help?

Allers said picking up the remaining debris from Hurricane Ian remains their top priority.

"Anything that could potentially be an object," Allers said, adding that they're predicting between 2 and four inches of storm surge.

What is the recommendation with trailers?

"A lot of us are still living in trailer from Ian almost a year ago," Allers said. "Please do not stay in the trailers."

Allers said trailer can float even with a minor surge.

Damaged properties still on the island

"We're really concerned about the damaged structures that are still on the island," Allers said.

Fire Chief Scott Wirth said the fire district also has its own plan.

"Up until this morning we were preparing for a minor event, and the thing about a hurricane plan is it has to be dynamic," Wirth said.

Wirth said Monday morning their plan was to prepare for a Category 3 hurricane.

How will emergency services operate?

"That emergency plan could include emergency services, having to evacuate the island," Wirth said. He added the hurricane's track can change quickly, in one cycle.

Wirth said they'll be able to respond to emergencies once the storm passes. He said emergency services will shelter in place once sustained winds hit 40 mph.

"If you're calling 911, know that someone will be there to answer your call," Wirth said. "Your calls will be logged and prioritized."

Wirth said they will prioritize life and property.

In Lee County, 74 people died following Hurricane Ian.

The town will have a public information board off-island, in the parking lot of Wal-Mart on Summerlin, with current messages.

How many people are on the island as Idalia approaches?

Allers said the number of people on the island currently is "very difficult" to calculate.

"As you know, we have people that come and go all the time," Allers said.

How many homes remain damaged on the island?

"Unfortunately, more than we'd like to have," Allers said.

Allers said authorities will continue to retrieve loose debris over the next two days.

In the days after Hurricane Ian, officials estimated every home on the island sustained some sort of damage.

'Don't be complacent'

Allers said Irma led residents on a path where they thought a hurricane of Ian's magnitude would never strike.

"Don't be complacent," Allers said.

Allers said they can control many factors except one.

"We can't control Mother Nature," Allers said.

What should residents expect with escape routes?

Wirth said evacuation routes will be major roadways, adding they'll be marked, saying "evacuation route."

"However, in major events, there is the potential for changes to be made to flow of traffic and things of that nature," Wirth said.

What are some struggles still faced by FMB residents?

Christine Willis said she and Dewitt Willis have had to fight to get flood insurance for their now-gone home.

"They're quick to cancel you if you don't pay," Christine Willis said. "But when you do pay, they're not quick, and you lose everything."

Christine said inside their temporary trailer they have drawings they just received of what they hope the new home will look like.

"We even had a fight with the town to say we had a legitimate legal three-unit building," Christine Willis said.

Christine Willis said the battle with the town has become her husband's full-time job.

"There are so many of us living this way," Christine Willis said.

A focus to preserve memories ahead of the storm

"I don't want to lose the 20 photos that I have now in a small, little enclosed environment," Christine Willis said. "We're just trying to make sure that we can take everything we have."

She said Hurricane Ian destroyed her work computers.

"That's something nobody understands," Christine Willis said. "It's towels. It's a little toaster oven. It's a coffee maker. All those things add up."

Christine Willis said the list of items often taken for granted includes a TV.

"When there are agencies out there supposedly saying that they're here to help you and they make you worry for week-to-week," Christine Willis said. "If you will have a place to live instead of giving you an extended period of time to try to figure things out. That's insane."

'It's like a war'

Christine Willis said they were initially given 18 months to live in a trailer.

"It's going to take much longer than that," she said. "It took us all this time to prove that we owned a three-unit building."

Christine Willis said the allotted time for their trailer has since doubled, now three years.

"It's like a war," Christine Willis said.

A past resident became an ally for the Willis

Christine Willis said a resident spanning back to the 1970s shared with the couple photos of what the home used to look like, hoping it will help them rebuild faster.

"I'm not looking for handouts, just a hand up," Christine Willis said.

For the time being, with Idalia's uncertainty, she said they'll head to a hotel in Bonita Springs.

They'll leave the trailer where their home once stood, hoping it will remain there when they return.

Residents help tie up debris

Paul Bruiser Jungwirth, who works at JPS Vacation Rentals, on Monday secured items at a Fort Myers Beach home. Among the items he tied up against the wall was a grill.

He said his trick helped save a glass table from Hurricane Ian's devastation last year.

Bruiser Jungwirth, who said he left at the "last minute" before Hurricane Ian made landfall last year, said that was the best lesson he learned.

"Get the hell off," Bruiser Jungwirth said with a chuckle. "We left at the last minute."

He said they left the island when they saw what was coming their way.

"But there's friends of ours that didn't make it," Bruiser Jungwirth said. "Stayed, didn't make it."

He said he hopes and believes it won't be as bad as last year.

"Nobody's taking any chances now," he said. "Which is a good thing, because 70 people last year didn't take it serious. They're dead."

He said with fewer houses to aid due to last year's devastation, his workload was far lighter this year.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Fort Myers Beach residents prepare as Idalia approaches Florida