It was one of the hardest hit areas by Ian.
The part-time residents come back early when they head south for the winter.
Flooding and debris filled their winter paradise.
Susan Johnson rode out Hurricane Ian with her husband and some neighbors in her mobile home community She watched as the homes in her neighborhood were destroyed.
Ian tore through Florida's west coast and wreaked havoc on the state. Entire communities are without power as a result of the damage to the infrastructure. State officials expect the death toll to increase as of Friday.
Many of Johnson's neighbors are snowbirds and don't come down until October, but they came back after the storm to help their neighbors.
Many stores were still dark and traffic lights were still shooting. Clothes and other items were hung up on lines outside of neighbors' homes.
We don't realize how many conveniences we have. You have to go back to the basics to appreciate what we have.
She said she would have escaped up to the East Coast if Johnson knew it was that bad. After the storm, her home was undamaged. She didn't have electricity or running water on Friday, but the house had no damage or flooding.
Sanibel Island's roads had been destroyed.
The home had been purchased by her parents. Johnson was a judge in Kentucky for many years. She said it had been her dream to live here someday.
The storm surge was thought to be 8 feet. In other parts of the area, a 10-foot surge poured into the community, and residents were still waiting on Friday for the water to come down so they could begin picking up the pieces.
She said that it's a danger to be aware of the chance of hurricanes in Florida. I didn't think it would be this way.
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