For those who own homes in Fort Myers Beach, town officials have a word: patience.
Cleanup in progress. Power and water have been restored. But it doesn’t happen all at once.
“Every minute after the storm feels like an eternity, so it feels slow,” said city spokesman Corey Dobridonia. I have no strength. No water. No air conditioning. But a lot of hard work is going on and it’s a win. “
Dobridnia said the team is going door-to-door and distributing resources to residents to help them move forward with cleanup and recovery. Town officials share information daily on the Fort Myers Beach website and on her Facebook page.
Business owners and residents were left at home Saturday after Hurricane Ian raged in September with 150-mph winds and powerful 12-foot storm surges that virtually destroyed most of what was on Estero Island. For the first time, I was able to catch a glimpse of something. 28.
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On Sunday, the Mantazas Pass Bridge reopened to residents, property owners, business owners, insurance adjusters, and others who legitimately need access to Fort Myers Beach.
By Tuesday, Estero Boulevard was filled with work trucks and cars, as well as anxious homeowners and business owners trying to start cleaning up and repairing.
“We are pleased with the progress so far,” Mayor Ray Murphy said. “Everything takes time, but everything is moving forward and we are happy with that.”
But getting information from city hall was not easy. The building itself was heavily damaged, and countless tents and trailers were set up across the street, allowing volunteers, first responders, workers and town employees to complete much-needed work.
Fort Myers Beach officials said residents were setting up tents to get permission to begin repairs. Operations have shifted to trailers where he can work one-on-one with the homeowner ready to assist his employees.
there was a catch. Before a permit is issued, the homeowner must provide reports from both a licensed structural engineer and a licensed electrical engineer that the home is structurally sound and can be reconnected to electricity. I have.
“Everything seems dry during a storm like this,” Dobridonia said. “We got wet at one point, so now we’re talking about salt. Salt corrodes wires, and stuff like that. We just want to make sure people are responsible.”
“We want to prevent fires, so we’re going to really, really slow bringing power to people’s homes.”
Difficult to navigate the process without city hall
It was frustrating for Chris Gandhi, who owns a rental property in Fort Myers Beach. She’s been to “maybe seven” tents and trailers before finding one that issues her permit. Once there, she found out about her additional requirements and was kicked out without her permission.
“Finding the temporary town hall was a bit of a challenge,” she said. “I think they’re just trying to organize themselves.”
Dobridonia, dispatched to Fort Myers Beach by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, said town officials are working to establish a central location for the town’s businesses, but it’s just the beginning.
“The town’s employees and their members have also suffered heavy losses,” she said. “We’re trying to find a place to get answers. We’re trying to get valid phone numbers online.”
Gandhi estimates that the house is about 70% livable because it is on stilts. She said the garage and other areas on her ground floor were destroyed.
She is ready to start repairs and finds it difficult to start.
“Right now, I have piles of paperwork, but I don’t have a structural engineer or an electrician yet,” she said.
Slow and methodical debris removal
Cleanup has also proven to be a challenge for residents as debris removal is time consuming and methodical.
“Debris is one of our biggest priorities right now,” said Dobridonia. “I encourage people to separate household and construction rubble. It is important to be able to pick it up.
“It’s a slow process. They have to go from road to road.”
Some streets are impassable due to sinkholes and other problems, she said.
As of Tuesday, the town’s clearing had begun at the southern edge and continued northwards to Estrellita Drive and Rennell Road. Lee County is responsible for removing debris from Estero Drive.
“This makes the streets more passable,” says Dobridnia.
Resident Ron Bennack hired a friend with experience in rubble removal to help remove rubble from his property, but is frustrated that he couldn’t find a place to carry the rubble.
“We are clearing the debris and ready to throw it away,” he said. “The Governor of Florida said, ‘You guys, pack your bags.'”
His friend Jeff Johnson of Omaha is an expert in hurricane debris removal. Ian is his eighth hurricane he worked on. He is ready to carry the construction debris of Benak.
“So we came down to the city to see where we could dump the rubble, but they tell us, ‘You can’t,'” Johnson said.
Dobridonia said the town collects the debris for free to residents, but if some don’t want to wait, they can take the debris to the Lee County landfill outside the island.
“Usually[towns]set up dumps to transport debris,” says Johnson. “At this point we have already piled up rubble, but there is no dump.”
building permit
Fort Myers Beach property owners must submit a report from a licensed structural engineer and electrician to buildingpermits@fmbgov.com before a permit is issued.
A structure report must prove that:
- Structural integrity is maintained
- The structure is now in a condition to reliably withstand the weight of the expected load
- Structures continue to function safely as intended for the foreseeable future
An electrical report must prove that the electrical system is safe to reconnect to electrical service.
Town officials cannot endorse service providers. Dobridnia said homeowners should make sure their engineers are licensed and in good standing with the state.
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