PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Panama City Beach Police have reported an update on the person hit by lightning. And seven months later, Sanibel is beginning to look familiar. We are going through our standard processes before we open any store to ensure we are prepared to provide all our customers with the best possible experience. Cathey says the town is still negotiating with FEMA to secure about $25 - 30 million in reimbursements to rebuild its pier, fire and police station, a jetty repair project and a new civic center. At the Pink Shell Beach Resort, cranes tower overhead and jackhammers are tearing up damaged concrete. WINK News asked if Isaacson would be going anywhere anytime soon. And she is trying to convince the population of this, too. Saturday night shooting in downtown Fort Myers under investigation. Now is not the best time to come to the beaches of Gulf Shores, he told al.com. A higher percentage of hotel rooms on the Dutch side, for example, are open again for business. PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - (UPDATE: 8:40 p.m.) Panama City Beach Police have identified the man who was struck by lightning at the City Pier on Thursday. This has made the debate less an economic one and more about politics, class, culture and race, often pitting the local majority-black population against the French state. U.S. Virgin Islands. Jim Atterholt, vice mayor of Fort Myers Beach, stands in front of Chapel By the Sea. Well, thats the million-dollar question. Greg Allen/NPR We have shown resilience, and we share the same goal: to rebuild and restrengthen our tourism product. We are grateful for our customers and look forward to reopening the Fort Myers location. Some residents, and the city itself, are still repairing damage caused by the hurricane. (Sophia Germer/The Advocate via AP), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Not just for grocery shopping, but to get a sub at the deli.. The Mercure hotel in Marigot was surrounded by water and debris on Sept. 6, after Hurricane Irma. But the differences have also left some on the Dutch side wondering whether in their haste to rebuild, and in their comparatively looser regulatory environment, the rebuilding did not happen with enough thought given to withstanding future storms. This scene of utter destruction in the aftermath of a Category 5 hurricane was not in the Abaco Islands or on Grand Bahama, devastated by Dorian last month. I need to hear the needs of my population at least the majority of my population, Mr. Gibbs added. Noticeable in most of Saint-Martins neighbourhoods, Hurricane Irmas visit results are surprising. The town hall was destroyed. That's especially a concern for people who live in the Southeast and along the Gulf coast. After buying Seabourn Odyssey, Japanese cruise line to put focus on U.S. River lines put more sports-related cruise options in play, Returning to St. Maarten/Martin, 20 months after Hurricane Irma, IGLTA conference is returning to an LGBTQ-friendly Puerto Rico, Challenges ahead for Caribbean tourism, CHTA survey says, Caribbean tourism outlook: Very good and getting better, Celebrity chef's visit inspires a dining series at Pineapple Beach Club Antigua, Anguilla is out to improve first impressions, Rays of 'Sunshine' brighten Puerto Rico's tourism outlook for 2023, Leaders gathering in Jamaica to take on tourism's challenges. Anyone can read what you share. Six months after Hurricane Ian stormed across Southwest Florida, people in many areas are still struggling to rebuild. MUST WATCH: Aerial tour of SWFL seven months post-Hurricane Ian, Official opening day scheduled for Fort Myers Beach Publix, Fort Myers Beach, FL Publix Structural Analysis, Man arrested after throwing Bud Light can at woman & children in San Carlos Park, Clewiston man dead after car crash in Alva, Panthers oust record-setting Bruins 4-3 in OT in Game 7, Forecast: Warm, sunny and less humid weather Monday, One victim from Downtown Fort Myers shooting identified. I knew I'd be seeing a lot of change on the island, but I was heartened that the landing pattern was still the same. More than 55,000 pounds of dirty sand was collected, and about 25,000 pounds was able to be cleaned and returned to the beach. This church was destroyed by Hurricane Ian's 150 mph winds and a wall of water that pummeled the island in September 2022. On Sept. 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Cayo Costa, a barrier island northwest of Cape Coral and Fort Myers, Fla., as a Category 4 storm with sustained PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hurricane Ian: A birds eye view of SWFLs recovery one month later. The storm devastated the islands main airport, blocked its ports and effectively shut down the islands essential tourism industry for months. They are attacking people without their pocket full.. The French government has set up a fund to buy out property owners living in the highest-risk flood zones, but Ms. Feucher insists that nobody will be forced to sell. Grant Brown, the Gulf Shores spokesman, said the city has hauled away 80,000 cubic yards of debris since the storm, but still has another 450,000 cubic yards to move. SAINT-MARTIN, French West Indies In the debris that had once been furniture and a roof were the vestiges of a holiday home: a cluster of flip-flops, a romance novel, a childs ball floating in a plunge pools fetid waters. There was about 5,500 cars coming on the island. HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Golden Beach Police Sgt. WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) West Palm Beach native John McKendrick says he missed all the warning signs. Daytona Beach December 30, 2022. And I said, Yes, thatd be great, Tillo said. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hurricane Ian: A birds eye view of SWFLs recovery one month later. WebClub Orient after Hurricane Irma Is Club Orient ever going to re-open? After the Causeway reopened, 5,500 people were coming onto the island every day, and now that number has risen to 8,000. We eat lunch every day at Publix, said Mike Mulrooney, who works at Snook Bight Marina on the island.. Jah Bash, a farmer, says the governments recovery effort is a conspiracy to take over the island.. Still, residents of Sandy Ground, and other neighborhoods with significant working-class populations, like Grand Case and Quartier dOrlans, are unassuaged and angry. 07070 USA Telephone: (201) 902-2000. I dined at an elegant French bistro called L'Atelier at Orient Beach. The focus of her mission, backed by Paris, is a push for more severe restrictions on construction and land use in the areas at greatest risk of damage during major storms, like that bluff with the pulverized cottages. The rights-of-way along the roads are covered with construction debris and stuff and its just not the same experience. Here are some steps you must take if a client pays with a large amount of cash. He turned to me, and he said weve got to get that bridge built, Councilmember Smith said. Why hasnt any work been done? AllActive Busy BeachesAtlantic BeachesBeach CampingBeach FishingBeach Truck TipsDog FriendlyDrive On BeachesFamily FriendlyFlorida Keys BeachesFlorida Travel TipsFun Beach ActivitiesGulf BeachesNear OrlandoPanhandle BeachesRelaxed BeachesRomantic Beaches. Pinel Island in St. Martin is a popular day trip for visitors. In a town that had some 6,000 year-round residents, people here estimate that only a third or less have been able to return since the storm. Report inappropriate content Pirate Toronto, Canada Level Contributor 16,652 posts 82 reviews 92 helpful votes 2. Despite winds over 150 miles per hour, homeowners here have had a harder time with their windstorm claims. He doesnt understand why FEMA wont help. If anything happen, we leave the home. ", For residents, elected officials and developers, Hurricane Ian has given them almost a clean slate in deciding what kind of community Fort Myers Beach will be. Tourists on Great Bay Beach in Sint Maarten. All Rights Reserved.301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ Cruise arrivals jumped 84.4% in Q1 over the same period last year; two new hotels will come on line later this year; and stayover arrivals are up 144% over 2018 year to date. The French governments promise to deliver substantial help was not an empty one. A framed photo of President Emmanuel Macron of France in a government office in Saint-Martin. He expects hotels and condos will be open and the town will be ready for Spring Break in 2024. Here's how Fort Myers Beach, Southwest Florida are recovering 6 months after Hurricane Ian Kim Luciani USA TODAY NETWORK FLORIDA 0:00 2:11 On Sept. Recovery has been slow in places like Puerto Rico, but its well on its way in St. Martin, an island that is controlled by France in the north and the Netherlands in the south. A 15-foot storm surge knocked this house off its foundation on Fort Myers Beach. And someone had put in a new starter and a new battery in the car well, and they rolled down the window, and they say, Excuse me, sir, do you need help? May-Ling Chun, director of tourism for St. Maarten, referred to the Sonesta re-openings earlier this year as "just one of many stories of inspiring recovery on this island. So people like Keith Isaacson could sit down and enjoy a good meal again. So, Friday night, theyre demanding action in the cell phone lot at Southwest Florida International Airport. In Saint-Martin, a long simmering discontent loaded with racial and class tension is on the verge of boiling over. That's no longer the case. Well have divers in the water next week, just to check the integrity of that bridge.. The beaches are OK, but if you look at the south side of the dunes and the loss of sand, its pretty amazing.. Two days later, they started digging that dirt, and four days later, they were able to get the power trucks over, Councilmember Smith said. A 15-foot storm surge knocked this house off its foundation on Fort Myers Beach. But do they? Like the story of Trace Tillo, who had one leg and had to get out of his house surrounded by water and debris before signaling for help. Sadly, this hidden paradise now look like a ghost paradise. But the campaign has become a flash point in an increasingly contentious relationship between the French government and a local population bristling against French bureaucracy and overseas control. WINK News asked the City of Sanibel what the estimated population on the island is, but because of the number of people that live there part-time, its difficult to gauge an accurate number. Sometimes you head for a corner of the world where luxury resides in a surprisingly approachable way. Shawna Wood and her father, Tom Wood, say their hotel has been rebuilt to be able to withstand 140 mph winds. Destroyed boats in Simpson Bay Lagoon along the boundary between Sint Maarten and Saint-Martin. On the Dutch side, much of the rebuilding has been driven by private funds, particularly those associated with tourism, which dwarfs the French-side tourism sector. Sunburned tourists waved as my flight zoomed low over the beach. Aerial photos show the recovery of Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in late September 2022, on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. It will change because everybody's going to have to build up because FEMA requires that now. The Dunlawton beach access in Daytona Beach Shores is now open for beach driving. In my conversations with the Governor, we were talking about having a Ferry. Atterholt is living temporarily in one of those newer homes. I think by next week, well be much further along, he said. For the most part, the Dutch side of the island is up and running, with new attractions like the Rainforest Adventures Rockland Estate and Topper's Rhum Distillery. hide caption. The venue for Smart was the two-resort Sonesta complex, a five-minute ride from the airport. The French side of the island was a different scene. People go for a swim in Mexico Beach. Slipping on that damn mud trying to clean my downstairs, Tillo said. Grenada is a small island that packs a big punch, in part thanks to knock-out places to stay such as the Spice Island Beach Resort. Along the South Texas Coastal Bend, heavy rains this week have brought major flooding, and concerns about drinking water supplies to cities including Corpus Christi, Port Aransas and Rockport. This year was a different story. ", Big changes are underway on Fort Myers Beach. But he says complaints about how insurance companies handle claims are being investigated. The country will burn easily.. Should inmates in Texas be eligible for early parole if they exhibit good behavior? There was about 5,500 cars coming on the island. He's staying nearby but estimates it will be at least six months until he's back in his house. Cleanup and rebuilding continues are public access points, however. A collapsed home south of Toronita Avenue Beach Park in Wilbur-By-The-Sea, Fla., Friday, December 2, 2022. The French state runs a famously laborious bureaucracy that, according to residents, has slowed the rebuilding process. Ms. Carty had lived all her 65 years on the waterfront, and she felt it was safe to ignore the evacuation orders that preceded Irmas landfall. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Mexico Beach lost 75% of its structures to Hurricane Michael. This wasteland was on St. Martin, an island that took a direct hit from Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017, and where, two years later, recovery is still far from complete. The FDEM is no longer accepting applications from private and commercial property owners to remove eligible debris, vehicles, vessels, and other title property. I watched out my window ground-level homes go totally underwater, Tillo said. This church was destroyed by Hurricane Ian's 150 mph winds and a wall of water that pummeled the island in September 2022. But real estate agent and longtime resident Kevin Crouse says there are lots of newcomers. In Saint-Martin, the toughest, most uncomfortable questions are less about who will pay for rebuilding France has delivered more than a half-billion dollars of aid but where and how to rebuild, or whether to rebuild at all amid the threat of evermore powerful storms. NWS confirms tornado hit Charlotte County. One case in point: Mexico Beach, a town on the Florida Panhandle almost totally destroyed by a hurricane three years ago, is coming back. Lufthansa gives it a try, I found the rest I needed across from a strip mall, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, What's hot on the Las Vegas pool scene this season, Hyatt is acquiring the Mr and Mrs Smith hotel collection, Western mountain resorts are facing a demand erosion this summer, With more ships and new homeports, MSC Cruises is attracting Americans, Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort is getting new cabins, Virgin Voyages' Scarlet Lady will have a branded poker room. What happens, come what may.". The hurricane caused billions of dollars in damage across the 34-square-mile island, which is split between the French territory of Saint-Martin, with a population of about 32,000, and Sint Maarten, a mostly autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with a population of about 41,000. There are many French laws, rulings and court decisions that must be followed before the damaged homes can be removed and rebuilding can commence.". After a wet and active week, Monday begins a much more calm and dry stretch for this work week. ", Photo caption correction: Planes come in over Maho Beach, not Great Bay Beach as the caption previously noted., Copyright 2023 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Buildings will now have to be elevated to protect them from flooding in future storm events. But we found that, as of August, the government of Puerto Rico has only expended about $5.3 billion (19%) of available funding. On Oct. 19, 2022, three weeks after Ian washed away two major parts of the Causeway, Desantis announced it would reopen to the public. Gulf-front lots are going for a million beachside or a half a million. This is about 28,714 truck loads. But many working-class residents fear they could be forced to abandon property that has been in their family for generations. He says, "The older homes were just completely destroyed. Aid has flowed in, but a fight has followed about recovery plans, exposing racial and class tension. Troops Say Theyre Running Out Of Time As They Await Visas, How Austins Multibillion-Dollar Transit Expansion Hinges On Federal Racial Equity Standards, Sin Vergenza: Mexican Soccer Wanted Women To Pay The Penalty The Mens Team Earned, Allen West Ramps Up The Drama In Final Days As Texas GOP Chair, Texas Republicans push to end countywide voting. ", Like most buildings on Fort Myers Beach, Atterholt's home is unlivable.
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