Cracking down on antisemitic acts in Florida, all the way from Isreal, after a new law protects people by hardening punishment for antisemitism. But with the hurricane, Critser says, for better or worse, opposition to redevelopment has melted away. I had a rum punch at one of the reopened beach bars along that stretch of sand, and I talked with several cruise ship passengers shopping in the colorful Marigot market. But, while going through his home. We give a lot of attention to the population, and it can prevent people from developing a sense of responsibility in terms of taking care of themselves.. Rios says state resources have been deployed, including boats that are being used for rescues. Rockport Mayor Pat Rios says serious flooding this week has prompted the city to make its ninth disaster declaration since Hurricane Harvey. At the Pink Shell Beach Resort, cranes tower overhead and jackhammers are tearing up damaged concrete. 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. According to Crowder Gulf Regional Manager Barton Holmes at todays meeting, more than 1.1 million cubic yards of debris has been collected from the right of way since Hurricane Ian. WebUpdate July 2021: Grand Case has been hit very hard by Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and is only slowly recovering from the damages. Stuart Johnson, minister of tourism for St. Maarten, said it well: "We are two nations but one destination. Seriously, whenever you say that, it still gives me chills, Councilmember Holly Smith said. Greg Allen/NPR And that will create a different flavor here because you won't see so many of the old ground level cottages." A 15-foot storm surge knocked this house off its foundation on Fort Myers Beach. We'd really like to see that school come back on the island. I could lose everything: Dallas drag performers say Texas bills could impact their jobs, Facebook users can now apply for a portion of a $725 million settlement. Charlie Doster was among those collecting the maximum 25 sheets. Pastor Shawn Critser of Beach Baptist Church operates a forklift moving supplies into his damaged church. After all, at least seven generations of her family had survived numerous hurricanes on this same patch of land, and she figured this time would be no different. He's staying nearby but estimates it will be at least six months until he's back in his house. Saturday night shooting in downtown Fort Myers under investigation. 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. The News-Press visual journalist Ricardo Rolon recently piloted a drone between 50- to 200-feet above southern Sanibel with views of the damaged lighthouse, Lighthouse Beach and the Gulf and river sides of the island. When Irma had finally moved on, the family emerged from their hideaway to discover that the storm surge and wind had gouged holes in two sides of the house and had swept away Ms. Cartys sister from her home next door. Sally made landfall at Gulf Shores on Sept. 16, pummeling the coast with fierce winds and as much as 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain. The town is just beginning discussions about how it can develop more workforce housing. Weve shut off the bedroom where the mold is, and my wife and I are now living in our living room, said Boffman. I think theres plenty of room for compromise.. "I don't think it's so forgotten anymore.". It should be. Six months after Hurricane Ian hit Southwest Florida, there are many homes that remain untouched. ", Like most buildings on Fort Myers Beach, Atterholt's home is unlivable. hide caption. The rights-of-way along the roads are covered with construction debris and stuff and its just not the same experience. Fort Myers Beach was particularly hit hard by the 15-foot storm surge. Ron DeSantis, and the effort has made its way to schools here in southwest Florida. The challenge of the government for reconstruction becomes even longer and more difficult.. Brown said he was hopeful some public beach access areas can reopen by next weekend. The town's vice mayor, Jim Atterholt, compares it to the destruction some European cities saw in World War II. Employees with Uber and Lyft said theyre not getting paid enough, taking high gas prices and inflation into account. Our opinions only. Three-and-a-half years later, the mountains of debris are gone and rebuilding is well under way. Structural analysis of the building showed it was safe, but a lot of work needed to be done., Fort Myers Beach, FL Publix Structural Analysis by Gage Goulding NBC2 on Scribd, Weve seen it gutted, new interior, new roof, obviously new parking lot, which they just started today, Mulrooney said., Now, there are big banners outside saying the Publix is reopening soon.. The Google search saying the store will reopen on May 25 is giving some people hope. Many here see it as the end of an era. Fort Myers Beach was one of the hardest hit areas. So people like Keith Isaacson could sit down and enjoy a good meal again. Rockport, Texas continues to recover from Hurricane Harvey. Mexico Beach has adopted one of the toughest building codes in Florida. Six months after the passing of hurricanes Irma and Maria, St. Martin is slowly rebuilding, but the scars of the most powerful hurricane ever known in the West Indies remain clearly visible. Geographic isolation makes everything more expensive. Despite winds over 150 miles per hour, homeowners here have had a harder time with their windstorm claims. "Right now we have 862 rooms available in hotels, timeshares and guesthouses, and 65% of the villa inventory has been renovated," Damaseau said. But it was probably two years in.". The pre-Irma accommodations inventory was 1,096 rooms in hotels and guesthouses. And she is trying to convince the population of this, too. But to do that, we're going to have to provide houses for those families to live in. When Hurricane Irma crushed St. Martin two years ago, the French state vowed swift assistance. 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. Many homes, too damaged to be repaired, are waiting to be demolished. The right of way removal service for hurricane-related debris in Fort Myers Beach has been extended until further notice. My arrival was just as I remembered from previous visits. This luxury award-winning all The right of way removal service for hurricane-related debris in Fort Myers Beach has been extended until further notice. Well, thats the million-dollar question. By next year, Atterholt vows things will be different. Gulf-front lots are going for a million beachside or a half a million. But there would be a lot of damage.". Susan and Bruno are travel bloggers. Friday, for perhaps the first time, we know what happened behind closed doors in the days after Hurricane Ian. They say rebuilding in town was slow to get started but is really picking up. NBC2 asked when the store will reopen, but we havent heard back. In 2017, Mr. Macron said Saint-Martin will be rebuilt in a durable way that also meets seismic and environmental needs. The widespread destruction, he said, could be blamed in part on buildings that were constructed under conditions that wouldnt have been accepted in other territories of France.. WINK News asked if Isaacson would be going anywhere anytime soon. Seabourn will do a circumnavigation cruise of Africa, Enjoying the magic of Maui at Marriott's Wailea Beach Resort, A plane with 14 seat products? Everything is controlled and re-controlled, three or four times.. It's slated to open later this year. 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. "I don't think you'll see the skyrises. When will the Publix on Fort Myers Beach reopen? These GIFs show what the island looked like right after the hurricane and how it looks now. Learn How You Can Sell Alaska This Summer: Part 3. When is soon? ", At Beach Baptist Church on a recent morning, a line of cars snaked down the street for a giveaway of something nearly every homeowner here needs, drywall. During Hurricane Harvey, wind did the most significant damage in Rockport. Beaches: With much more unspoiled shoreline than Sint Maarten, the French sidedefinitely has the advantage for beaches, with popular Orient Bay Beach drawing crowds, and the peaceful Friars Bay and appropriately named Happy Bay providing all the white sands and blue waters youd expect on a Caribbean visit. Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin of Sint Maarten said her government had insufficient fiscal, legal and environmental staff to help manage those aspects of recovery after Irma. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hurricane Ian: A birds eye view of SWFLs recovery one month later. In the storm, Pink Shell lost two cottages it used for workforce housing. While the French state may seem overbearing to some in Saint-Martin, whose residents are French citizens, its people are entitled to all the protections of Frances generous social net. 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. The consensus view on both sides of the island is that the Dutch half has recovered more quickly. This location was torn down and built back, brick by brick.. But that state largess may have undermined private initiative during this reconstruction period. Many of us living by the sea, we know the risk, said Marie Abner, 48, who has lived in the neighborhood since she immigrated from Haiti as a child. Some places have recovered but there is still very noticeable areas of ruin. It's an on going rebuild. A framed photo of President Emmanuel Macron of France in a government office in Saint-Martin. 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. "On the front of the church," he says, "you see this beautiful pristine stained-glass window that was perfectly untouched. A woman is accused of breaking into a retail store in Naples on Monday, April 3, hiding her identity by holding an umbrella while taking money from the business. "And we upped [the building code] to 140 mile-an-hour wind," Cathey says. He says, "Our push for that is that we can get kids into those apartments that then funnel (them) into the school system. Part of HuffPost World News. An earlier version of this article stated that the U.S. Virgin Islands no longer requires negative covid-19 test results from vaccinated travelers. 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 A 15-foot storm surge knocked this house off its foundation on Fort Myers Beach. Charlie Doster was among those collecting the maximum 25 sheets. Status: All clear. Re: Has St Martin French side rebuilt from the Greg Allen/NPR I'm not a slow learner when it comes to storms anymore.". Cdrick Andr, a community activist in Sandy Ground, one of the high-risk neighborhoods, views the matter as nothing less than an existential struggle for Saint-Martins working-class population. Crouse says the risk of living on the coast in an area that was recently leveled by a hurricane hasn't hurt home values. On the town's streets, huge piles of debris are still everywhere. The French state runs a famously laborious bureaucracy that, according to residents, has slowed the rebuilding process. The former Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort, whose site was obliterated by Irma and later purchased by Sunwing Travel Group, will reopen as a Planet Hollywood property in 2020. A 15-foot storm surge swept away many structures and left few undamaged. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. "I need probably five times this many. In the last two weeks, a Publix spokesperson said theyre working on reopening. Six months after Hurricane Ian stormed across Southwest Florida, people in many areas are still struggling to rebuild. Businesses still shuttered. The authorities turned a blind eye to the settlement, allowing it to grow, and now thousands of people live along the neighborhoods narrow streets and unpaved lanes. As with two competitive siblings close in age, just about everything that happens on one side demands comparison with the other. Jah Bash, a farmer, says the governments recovery effort is a conspiracy to take over the island.. Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria left a trail of destruction when they swept over the Caribbean last September. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hurricane Ian: A birds eye view of SWFLs recovery one month later. In Saint-Martin, a long simmering discontent loaded with racial and class tension is on the verge of boiling over. Thanks for donating today. That worries some long-time residents who for decades fought to keep out big developments and protect the island's old Florida charm. But many working-class residents fear they could be forced to abandon property that has been in their family for generations. It would be an understatement to say they went on a mission. I had 15 feet of water and other parts of my property. I watched out my window ground-level homes go totally underwater, Tillo said. hide caption. 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. Greg Allen/NPR 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 pay attention. Marie Abner in her partially destroyed home in the neighborhood of Sandy Ground in Saint-Martin. One of the places severely damaged by Hurricane Ian was Fort Myers Beach, and seven months later, theres still more to do, but theyve come a long way. In this series, The Times investigates to see if those promises were kept. FEMA spokesman Ruben Brown said many refusals are based on missing information or incomplete insurance claims, and applicants can appeal initial refusals of aid. This week, major flooding is threatening that recovery. Its about wealth., Protests against the plan could turn violent, Mr. Bash warned. Rios says hes watching how flood waters impact the ongoing rebuilding of the Key Allegro Bridge, which is the only access to an island containing 800 homes. Six months after Hurricane Ian walloped Southwest Florida, the recovery is slow and uneven. Lee County was responsible for debris pick up on Estero Boulevard and that service ended on March 1. Why hasnt any work been done? The half-sunken hulls of storm-scuttled ships. Sunburned tourists waved as my flight zoomed low over the beach. One of Boykin's concerns is where he'll find housing for his employees. WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (WPBF) West Palm Beach native John McKendrick says he missed all the warning signs. Im hungering for Publix. Drivers who encounter them have gotten stuck. The beaches are OK, but if you look at the south side of the dunes and the loss of sand, its pretty amazing.. This week, major flooding is threatening that recovery. It's now cleaner as of Feb. 27. 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. About 5 to []. FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. The only grocery store on Fort Myers Beach is still closed after being damaged by Hurricane Ian. We will do it quickly, we will do it well, and we will do it better.. After the Causeway reopened, 5,500 people were coming onto the island every day, and now that number has risen to 8,000. He doesnt understand why FEMA wont help. More than a week after Hurricane Ian, the shock of what's ahead settles in for people, One Florida community built to weather hurricanes endured Ian with barely a scratch, Florida's property insurance market was already under stress. Changing mentalities is always difficult, she said. Rockport Mayor Pat Rios told Texas Standard that major entrances and exits to his city are flooded, making it difficult for people to leave. For me, its a conspiracy to take over the island, said Mr. Bash, whose family has lived in Sandy Ground for five generations. I saw boarded-up homes and businesses and rusted hulls of yachts along shore lines. This church was destroyed by Hurricane Ian's 150 mph winds and a wall of water that pummeled the island in September 2022. "And what wasn't gone, was so damaged by water. Its wonderful all the things youre doing, but talk to us., The Google search saying the store will reopen on May 25 is giving some people hope. Anyone can read what you share. But the threat of hurricanes, climate change and rising seas is not discouraging development along the coasts. ", At Beach Baptist Church, Doug Miller has been serving a free breakfast and lunch for residents since the day after the hurricane. climate change has made hurricanes more destructive. It's led to complaints from locals about "disaster tourism" and snarled traffic already slowed by debris removal and construction equipment. Sometimes you head for a corner of the world where luxury resides in a surprisingly approachable way. Contractors with FDEM will continue to collect this debris. Perhaps more incredible than the story of the Sanibel Causeway and the status of local businesses is the stories of the people who rode out that storm on the island and had to fend for themselves and each other to survive. It was crazy.. They are attacking people without their pocket full.. A few hotels have begun welcoming guests. "More restaurants are reopening each week, including the lolos [open-air food stands selling local street food] in Grand Case.". Nearly two years after hurricane Irma hit Saint Martin, Orient Beach is bouncing back quite nicely. The southern Volusia coastline was devastated by The beaches are open, although a red tide algae bloom has led to big fish kills. Thats the strength and weakness of France, Ms. Feucher 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. But we found that, as of August, the government of Puerto Rico has only expended about $5.3 billion (19%) of available funding. Greg Allen/NPR All rights reserved. Building materials need to be brought in by ship or plane, increasing costs. He expects hotels and condos will be open and the town will be ready for Spring Break in 2024. The Barrier Islands are an exemplary demonstration of that effort. Still, residents of Sandy Ground, and other neighborhoods with significant working-class populations, like Grand Case and Quartier dOrlans, are unassuaged and angry.
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