A bird’s eye view of the destruction on Sanibel Island after Ian
Sheriff Carmine Marceno and FOX Weather field correspondent Nicole Valdes assessed the destruction from a helicopter on Thursday.
Debris piles stretch for miles in Sanibel following Ian
FOX Weather’s Nicole Valdes provides an aerial look of the devastation on Sanibel Island with Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marcelo.
SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. – Walls and roofs were peeled away from many homes on Sanibel Island, leaving behind a skeleton of a community that was once considered paradise.
Sanibel Island, which is part of Lee County in southwestern Florida, was one of the communities that were hardest-hit by Ian. Powerful winds and up to 15 feet of storm surge swept over the tiny island, leaving behind a trail of wreckage and debris.
Temporary bridge talks underway as Sanibel Causeway stays impassable
FOX Weather correspondent Nicole Valdes says the main priority is getting residents back on Sanibel Island and providing relief to those impacted by Hurricane Ian.
"You can see just debris piles that go on for miles and the dozens of homes that no longer look like their homes," said FOX Weather field correspondent Nicole Valdes, as she flew over the island in a helicopter with Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
Marceno and his fellow law enforcement officers have been working on Sanibel to find residents who stayed on the island during the storm.
Isabella Sbarro, left, hugs her mother, Amy Sbarro, after Amy was evacuated by boat from the isolated Sanibel Island in the wake of Hurricane Ian on October 1, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida.
(Sean Rayford / Getty Images)
According to Valdes, more than 900 people have been rescued, and search and rescue efforts are ongoing.
"During these times you see everyone come together and help everyone, it really hits you in the heart again," said Marceno.
He added that the rescue situation is unique, as the island is now only accessible by ferry or aircraft. In addition to damaging homes and businesses of Sanibel, Ian also destroyed the causeway that connected the island to mainland Florida.
![Sanibel Island Causeway after Hurricane Ian.]()
Image 1 of 2Sanibel Island Causeway after Hurricane Ian. (Image: NOAA)
![Sanibel Island Causeway before Hurricane Ian hit.]()
Image 2 of 2Sanibel Island Causeway before Hurricane Ian hit.
But standing amidst the rubble of Sanibel Island was the Sanibel Lighthouse, quietly rising above the horizon that saw chaos just one week ago.
"To see that still standing, despite the damage it did sustain during the storm, it is an incredible sight, and it really has fueled a lot of the hope for those people in southwest Florida," Valdes said.
"The great state of Florida and the great county of Lee will move forward stronger than ever," Marceno stated.