Sanibel Island, Fla. is located in the state of Florida. The bottom level of David Muench's home on the barrier island of Sanibel was washed away by Hurricane Ian.
His parents' house was destroyed by the storm that killed at least two people there, and the lone bridge to the island collapsed, cutting off access by car to the mainland.
The vulnerability of the nation's barrier islands and the increasing costs of living on the thin strips of land that parallel the coast are highlighted by Hurricane Ian. Experts are questioning if exposed communities can rebuild in the face of climate change.
According to a real estate professor at the school of architecture, this is a Hurricane-scale event where you have to rebuild everything. We don't have the money to rebuild everything back to what it was.
The barrier island of Sanibel, Florida, was cut off from the rest of the world when Hurricane Ian hit.
In the same spot where Hurricane Charley caused major damage in 2004, Ian slammed into southwest Florida as a Category 4 storm.
Since 1873, there have been 50 tropical storms that have come within 100 nautical miles of Fort Myers, and 23 of them have been hurricanes. Each posed a threat to property and lives on the island.
According to the Sanibel Historical Museum & Village, Captiva was cut in two by a big storm in 1921.
The latest storm has caused a new cycle of damage and repair on Sanibel, as well as on many other barrier islands, from the New Jersey shore to the Louisiana coast.
Experts say that barrier islands were not an ideal place to develop. Waves deposited off the mainland create them. They move based on the weather. Some don't come back.
According to experts, building on the islands and holding them in place with beach replenishment programs makes them more vulnerable to destruction.
Anna Linhoss is a professor of biosystems engineering at auburn university. You wait for a storm to take them away if you build on them.
Ian made a second landfall in South Carolina, where Pawleys Island was one of the hardest hit areas. The main pier of the barrier island was torn apart by the winds and rains of Friday.
Homeowners in the beach community up the coast from Charleston struggled to assess damage from the storm. The causeways connecting the island to the mainland were covered with palm fronds, pine needles and even a kayak.
Many barrier island communities anchor long-entrenched tourist economies which are often the source of vital tax dollars. The cost of rebuilding them is high because they are home to a lot of expensive properties.
The Program for the Study of developed Shorelines is a joint venture between Duke University and Western Carolina University.
Young said that the money would be used to take a step back from places that are exposed to hazard and make sure that the disaster doesn't happen again.
The director of the Environmental Defense Fund said that any changes to the disaster response will be difficult.
There are challenges with who participates in programs that elevate flood-prone homes. Mangroves can be planted to prevent erosion.
People were fully aware of the risks of sea-level rise when they bought their homes.
Sanibel will definitely be changed by Hurricane Ian according to the research done by the professor. The government won't have as much money to help people rebuild. People with less means and less money will move. The people with money will stay.
Sanibel will be an enclave for wealthy people.
Homeowners and business owners will rebuild their properties, according to Muench.
For the past three generations, his family has owned and operated a campground. He said that the island is the most beautiful place on the planet.
Muench said that they were going to remain on Sanibel after they were evacuated. You might not notice if you don't know.
That's right.
The person reported from Norfolk. Two Associated Press reporters contributed to the story.
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