What’s next for Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach? Slow recovery, limited visitors following devastating Hurricane Ian

© Susan Glaser/cleveland.com/TNS A poinsettia tree is a focal point for visitors to downtown Fort Myers Beach.

SANIBEL, Florida — More than a dozen hurricanes have made landfall in Florida in the past 10 years.

This one felt different.

Glued to my screens in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, I was desperate for information about Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island, two communities I’ve come to know and love over the decades.

Nine weeks after the Sept. 28 storm, I traveled to the Fort Myers area to see for myself, surveying the regions most impacted by Ian. It was devastating, but also heartwarming, to see so many people working hard to assist in the recovery.

I also explored some areas of Lee County that were less damaged by the storm and are already ready for visitors. (Check back later this month for stories on Boca Grande, the Edison and Ford Winter Estates and Tarpon Lodge.)

Tamara Pigott, executive director of the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau, said the area was experiencing a record tourism year when Ian hit.

It will take years for the region to recover.

“People ask me if this is my worst nightmare,” she said. “It’s worse than my worst nightmare.”

Still, she said, she is looking forward to meeting the challenges ahead – to helping Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel recover while shining a light on other, lesser-known destinations in the area. “We’re embracing this challenge,” she told me.

If she can embrace it, well then, so can I.

Here, then, is what you need to know about how the islands are recovering – and when they might be ready to welcome visitors again:

Sanibel Island after Ian: Causeway reopens to public Jan. 2, but recovery will take years

Rebuilding Fort Myers Beach: Hurricane Ian prompts debate over island’s future

While Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach recover, check out these alternative Southwest Florida destinations

With beaches near Fort Myers still closed, head to Boca Grande on Gasparilla Island for sun and sand

Overnighting in old Florida, at Pine Island’s Tarpon Lodge

Exploring downtown Fort Myers, an alternative waterfront destination in Southwest Florida

©2022 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.