Former Lewes residents ride out Ian

Bert and Penny Long have been snowbirds since retirement, dividing their time between Lewes and Florida.

The couple made the big decision last November to pack up and move from their Lewes home to Pine Island, Fla. They rented until purchasing a condominium this past January.

If Pine Island seems familiar, it is. Along with Sanibel and Captiva islands and Naples and Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island took the brunt of Category 4 Hurricane Ian Sept. 28.

Ian made landfall with sustained winds of 150 mph in the afternoon at Cayo Costa, an island directly west of Pine Island. Ironically, it's the same location Hurricane Charley, the last Category 4 hurricane to hit the area, made landfall. The couple live near St. James City in the southern part of the island.

Bert and Penny chose to ride out the storm in the second story of a neighbor's condo. “Our units are all concrete and the roofs were only 2 years old. I felt really confident we could stay, and I'm glad we did,” Bert said in a phone interview.

By staying, the couple was able to get a head start on clean-up of their one-story condo, which suffered damage from nearly 2 feet of storm surge. And the island was cut off from the mainland for three days because of a destroyed bridge, which is the only access to the island.

“It's amazing how many did stay on the island,” he said.

The bridge from Fort Myers was rebuilt well enough for traffic to pass in only three days. “Lee County officials were dragging their feet. We have plenty of contractors on the island with heavy equipment. Gov. DeSantis said go in there and get it done,” Bert said.

Riding out the storm

“The wind seemed to blow forever. We stayed in our unit until water started coming in and we moved upstairs. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to walk and climb the stairs,” he said.

They lost TV service followed by the loss of electricity early on during the storm. As of Oct. 12, they still didn't have electricity, but utility companies are working in his neighborhood, Bert said. It will take at least another two weeks before electricity is restored to the island. He said at least 60% of the island's utility poles are snapped in half or on the ground.

“I think after the eye passed and the wind shifted around is what caused the most damage,” he said.

Bert said all screens on the 32 units' porches were blown away and 14 boats were pushed up in a pile or scattered in other areas of the property. Every palm tree has its fronds torn off and every hardwood tree has its bark and limbs blown off.

In advance of the storm, the couple had stocked up on food. “We had plenty of beer and cans of sardines,” he said.

After the storm

The day after the storm, his community resembled a war zone, complete with helicopters flying over head, Bert said.

They have been using a generator that provides limited electricity to their condo. Water service has been restored so they can at least take a cold shower and they still have to boil water before using it. “It's like summer camp,” he said with a laugh.

Without electricity to a lift station providing sewer service to his community, going to the bathroom has been an adventure. A bucket with a trash bag has been their toilet.

Bert said trash and vegetation is strewn everywhere. “Thank God a trash truck came around on Day 5,” he said.

Most days the couple has spent cleaning their home and helping others. “Island people are phenomenal. Everyone is helping one another,” he said.

In addition, he said, organizations mobilized quickly to get food, water and other supplies to island residents. The Red Cross has been distributing buckets with cleaning materials and food donations are widespread on the island.

Bert, who was an electrician for 40 years, said he had gone out in all kinds of weather to make repairs. “But I never had to face something like this,” he said. “It's still paradise. It's just changed.”

Bert and Penny moved full time to Lewes in 2003 from Pennsylvania and were involved in a variety of activities, including American Legion Post 17, Lightship Overfalls and Lewes Yacht Club. Bert was known for his unique woodworking and Penny for her Iris greeting cards. They started heading south to Pine Island during the winter in 2010. It fits Bert’s style who is known for his signature shorts, tropical shirts and flip-flops, which he wore most of the time in Lewes.

Pine Island, located in the Gulf of Mexico, is north of Sanibel Island and west of Cape Coral and Fort Myers. The only access to the island is a causeway and bridge through the Matlacha National Wildlife Refuge, which enters the island at its midway point. The official population is 9,000, but it varies with the seasons.

Pine Island is 17 miles long and 2 miles wide and is served by one road that runs south from St. James City north to Bokeelia.

Hurricane Ian

Ian was the deadliest hurricane to strike Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. At least 126 people were killed in Florida. The estimated damage from the storm, which trekked east and north over central Florida into South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, is $50 billion.