'Help us': Shrimping boats sit idle in Fort Myers after suffering Hurricane Ian’s wrath
One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employees are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery
Hurricane Ian destroys boats head of busy shrimping season
Recreational boats were tossed around like toys when Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida last month, but commercial boats were also destroyed. FOX Weather multimedia journalist Brandy Campbell is in Fort Myers Beach where one local shrimping company is struggling to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. - Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian last month, and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida.
But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced.
One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employees are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.
HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 1 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 2 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 3 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 4 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 5 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 6 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 7 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 8 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 9 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 10 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 11 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 12 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 13 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 14 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 15 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 16 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
![Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery.]()
Image 17 of 17Recreational boats were tossed around like toys during Hurricane Ian and many of them have been located across Southwest Florida. But commercial boats, too, were equally displaced. One local shrimping company in Fort Myers and its employers are having a difficult time trying to pick up the pieces and move forward with their recovery. (Brandy Campbell)
FOX Weather multimedia journalist Brandy Campbell spoke with one shrimp boat captain who rode out Hurricane Ian on his boat.
"The lines ended up breaking. The docks disappeared," he said. "The water rose within 10 to 15 minutes. It was everywhere."
And when Hurricane Ian finally moved away from the area, Moren said he couldn't believe what he saw.
"It's like a bomb went off," he said. "Everything changed."
IAN'S DESTRUCTION EXPECTED TO RANK IN TOP 10 COSTLIEST HURRICANES IN US HISTORY
Hurricane Ian becomes 15th billion-dollar disaster of 2022
NOAA has designated Hurricane Ian as the 15th billion-dollar disaster of 2022.
Now the people who lived and worked on those boats moved into tents that sit yards away. Most of them are still waiting for help.
"I'm losing employees every day because they've got to eat," said Grant Erickson, owner of Erickson and Jensen Shrimp Seafood.
Erickson owns 11 shrimp boats that make up his business. He said it's among the largest shrimping ports in Florida.
Only two of his boats are currently working.
"I'm standing here waiting for some heavier lifting equipment to come and help us put some of these boats in the water," he said. "Help us, so we can start the repairs to get these people's jobs back to them."
HURRICANE IAN EXPOSES COMPLICATED PATH AHEAD FOR INSURANCE CLAIMS
Destruction of Fort Myers Beach from Hurricane Ian
Video captures the destruction of Fort Myers Beach from Hurricane Ian that barreled through on Wednesday.
All this comes at the worst time during the busy part of their season, impacting his marina, product packers, the stores and restaurants that receive it.
"I hope there's enough care about this industry and what we do," Erickson said. "You know, I've never asked for help before. We need it now."
And as the recovery across Florida continues, the question is of the future.
"Where do we go from here," Moren asked. "You know? I feel like this industry is through here. My way of life. That's the way I see it."
"I hope that this can happen," Erickson said. "That we can make this whole place a better place after this all heals and comes back together. And the infrastructure is rebuilt. But it seems like a daunting task at this point in time."
FEARING DEATH, PRAYING FOR A MIRACLE: SANIBEL ISLAND WOMAN SURVIVES IAN'S HISTORIC WRATH
Watch: Drone footage shows extent of damage done to Sanibel Island by Hurricane Ian
Drone footage shows the extent of damage done by Hurricane Ian on Sanibel Island. Hurricane shutters on one home were just blown through like it was tin foil.
On a positive note, a large crane is on the scene to try and get at least one of the affected boats back into the water.
Erickson said that even if damaged boats are put back into the water, they think they can save them.
But funding is needed, so a GoFundMe page was set up to help cover the costs to help them rebuild and get back to business.