Hurricane Ian Coverage
Pine Island Evacuees | Hurricane Ian Coverage
Special | 4m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
Three days after Hurricane Ian ripped through the communities on Pine Island...
Three days after Hurricane Ian ripped through the communities on Pine Island, Florida the coast guard organized a water-borne operation to help evacuate residents because the bridge that used to connect the island to the mainland is buckled and broken. Many residents want to stay.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Hurricane Ian Coverage is a local public television program presented by WGCU-PBS
Hurricane Ian Coverage
Pine Island Evacuees | Hurricane Ian Coverage
Special | 4m 7sVideo has Closed Captions
Three days after Hurricane Ian ripped through the communities on Pine Island, Florida the coast guard organized a water-borne operation to help evacuate residents because the bridge that used to connect the island to the mainland is buckled and broken. Many residents want to stay.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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(boat engine running) - [Pam] Pontoons, fishing boats, Jon Boats and other private volunteer vessels pull up to a boat ramp in Matlacha filled with refugees from St. James City and Bokeelia.
They disembark, towing behind them small carry-on luggage or a plastic bin, and maybe a pet in their arms.
- It seriously is like a third world country on the island right now.
It is insane.
- It was the most horrific experience in probably the whole lifetime.
- There's no house.
- There's not a piece of lumber left from our house that's there.
- And most of our land is gone.
- Two pieces of concrete and about 70% of the lot 'cause we're on a corner.
About 70% of the lot is washed away.
- [Pam] The normally resilient islanders say they are hungry; they are tired, and like Donna Green of St. James City, they want help.
- Well, all we need is water and support.
That's what we need and they're not giving it to us.
- [Pam] Volunteers line the broken road, offering water and food to the evacuees before they board a LeeTran shuttle to a shelter.
Alan Hoover from a rapid response crisis company from Michigan rallied 52 friends with boats to help the official evacuation effort.
- We've exfil, exfil for civilian folks, that means to remove civilians that are indentured in some capacity.
So we picked up 1,348 civilians in the last three days, not countin' today and brought 'em here into safety, in which they were either provided medical support, then linked up with FEMA and then brought over to a FEMA location center, which is set up at multiple different points throughout Lee County area of operation.
And then the other civilians that didn't need medical attention would come over, get water, some carbs, some proteins, and then whatever other life sustaining items that they need that were critical in that moment.
- Pine Island's local Leah Brantingham came to assess the damage to their RV resort and to help people get off and on to the island.
- Yesterday we had about five boats going back and forth over to the island and we got a 88 year old man that rode out this one by himself and he was very shook.
He looked like he went through a war.
It was very, very sad to see, but just happy to see such a strong community come together and really, really offer up anything and everything to make sure that this community has what they need.
- [Pam] Strangers came to help as well.
Jon Bridgers, the founder of the Cajun Navy 2016 Pinnacle Search and Rescue came from Walker, Louisiana.
- Of course, I think everybody knows what the Cajun Navy does.
- [Pam] He stopped in Sarasota County to help those impacted by floods and then pushed onto Pine Island.
- [Interviewer] Looks like you're getting ready to go do something.
- Yeah, we're fixin' to load that Cajun Navy boat up with a bunch of supplies, tarps and couple more air conditioners and whatnots and bring 'em over there to St. James City.
We're just doing the lord's work and that's what we do.
- [Pam] Officials say Urban Search and Rescue and the Coast Guard were dispatched to Lee County Barrier Islands less than 12 hours after the monster storm.
Still, many feel not enough is being done.
Andy Diaz is one of those people who's anxious to get back on the island to help his friends.
- This hurricane has brought total destruction.
I have friends that are there now, trying to survive and work, but it's hard to get anything in.
And the fact that the bridge and the road was taken out, I just want help.
- [Pam] A temporary bridge is slated to be completed later this week, which will help.
- The minute that break is fixed, FPL, the other power companies, the water companies are gonna be able to drive their equipment in and do that.
- In the meantime, residents have been urged to leave the island, but many, like Cynthia Bray of Bokeelia, say they won't or they can't.
- They went door to door, they came to our house, and asked how many were staying.
My neighbors are staying, my pet sitter, she has horses, her and her husband are staying.
We need water every day and they're threatening to cut it off and force us off the island and we're not leaving.
I can't.
- [Pam] Reporting from WGCU, I'm Pam James with Eileen Kelley and Tom James.
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Hurricane Ian Coverage is a local public television program presented by WGCU-PBS