The Fort Myers airport is slated to open for limited traffic today, but that doesn’t mean tourism will be back any time soon in Southwest Florida.
A spokesperson for Fort Myers tourism told me on Tuesday that limited flights will begin today and that Air Canada is tentatively scheduled to fly in and out of Fort Myers on Friday. A few hotels could open soon, but rooms are being set aside for utility workers and other responders.
Hurricane Ian did tremendous damage to Florida and other parts of the U.S., as well as to some Caribbean islands. The death toll so far is more than 100.
Reuters reports that the death toll “was expected to keep rising as floodwaters receded and search teams pushed farther into areas initially cut off from the outside world. Hundreds of people have been rescued as emergency workers sifted through homes and buildings inundated with water or completely washed away.”
Captiva Island prior to Hurricane Ian. Ameer Basheer/Unsplash Photo
The causeway from Fort Myers Beach to popular Sanibel Island was wiped out, and hotels were badly damaged by fierce winds from the hurricane.
“It’s all just completely gone,” Sanibel’s city manager, Dana Souza, told Reuters. “Our electric system is pretty much destroyed, our sewer system has been damaged badly and our public water supply is under assessment.”
Travel Weekly reports that Fort Myers Airport officials are cautioning that services within the terminal will be limited as recovery from Hurricane Ian continues. Drinking water won’t be available until Lee County lifts its boil-water notice. In addition, concessions will have limited food and water and might be short on supplies, and rental car companies will have limited operations.
