I am from Upstate NY and have lived there my entire life, and it is ranked the snowiest city in the nation. So, the only major weather that I really had to deal with was snow most of the year. Never did I expect my family to live in a town where a hurricane would directly hit. About two years ago, my family moved to Southwest Florida, between Naples and Fort Myers. Since they moved here, that is where I spend my summers and holidays away from school in Tampa. I have enjoyed a lot of beach days, meals, and family time on Fort Myers Beach. Fort Myers Beach is a very small town, so everyone knows everyone. We all get to know the business owners and the locals because we all spend a lot of time there.
There are not a lot of franchises and big businesses on the beach. However, there are a lot of small businesses, family-owned restaurants, gift shops, and boutiques. Now that Hurricane Ian has hit, all of those places are gone. Thankfully, my family’s home did not get destroyed by the hurricane, and we are very lucky compared to others around us. It is just devastating to see all of the places that I have been to, made memories in, and spent a lot of time in completely destroyed. With no time frame as to when and if they ever will be restored.
I hope that this piece will not only inform those who may not know how severe and scary this hurricane was, but also raise awareness and hopefully encourage people to donate their time, money, and resources to those in need at the time. You can volunteer to help clean up debris, donate money to those who have no home, and donate resources like canned foods, feminine hygiene products, water, animal foods, and so much more. We are so lucky to be here, some people lost everything, including animals, friends, and family during this tragic hurricane. So, if you can and are willing to, please think about giving a bit of help to the people who have lost everything.