FORT MYERS, Fla. — Monday morning on Fort Myers Beach was intense - as we watched people pack up everything they could before evacuating the island.
A local business owner told Fox4 community correspondent Miyoshi Price that the process gave her PTSD of Ian.
This time, some business owners aren't taking any chances, as they strapped up their mobile businesses to a trailer and drove it off the island.
Melissa Sheppard, owner of Meli's Ice Cream, says the whole process gives her flashbacks of Ian.
"It's it's a lot," says Sheppard. "It's very emotional. It's a lot of things to clean up, a lot of things to, you know, organize."
The Town of Fort Myers Beach issued a mandatory evacuation, requiring all residents, business owners, and employees to leave the island by 3 p.m. Monday.
Sheppard says she felt good about her preparations for Helene. She strapped things down and calculated the storm surge.
The folks at Margaritaville also justreopened their poolFriday following Helene's impacts. The entire pool area was filled with sand.
Sheppard told FOX4 she was hauling her entire ice cream trailer off the island by 3 pm Monday.
"This time it's feeling exhausting and stressful," says Sheppard.
People were getting off the island in bumper-to-bumper traffic in pickups, moving vans, trailers, and more.
Lauren Ramage and her friend came onto the island to help another friend who was out of town.
"It's pretty sad, considering we just got hit, or some people have some effects from the last one," says Ramage.
The lingering debris from the most recent storm still sits on sidewalks.
The local governments and counties ask people not to put more on the sidewalk.
Also, know your zones just in case your county issues an evacuation order.
Ramage says she lives inland, where she will take her friends' things.
"We're gonna move their cars to the complex there and just hunker down and stay in.
If you are seeking shelter, click this link.
