FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Neighbors on San Carlos Island are evacuating as Hurricane Milton moves closer, concerned that debris left over from previous storms could make the situation even worse.
WATCH THE FULL COVERAGE BY FORT MYERS BEACH COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENT ANVAR RUZIEV:
San Carlos Island is still littered with belongings, construction materials, and debris that remain unsecured.
This has raised fears among neighbors like Tara Boyd, who sees these items as potential hazards that could cause even more damage when the hurricane hits.
“We’ve cleaned up a little bit since Ian, and then Helene came through, so there’s still a lot of stuff, and that could cause more damage,” Boyd said, expressing her concerns about the storm’s potential impact.
Boyd, who made the decision to stay during Hurricane Ian, has decided to evacuate this time, learning from her past experience. “We are concerned, and we are leaving. We don’t want to have to swim out of our house again,” she added.
Other neighbors on the island are also preparing to evacuate ahead of the storm. Tom Mazza, who is still waiting to rebuild his home after it was destroyed by Hurricane Ian over two years ago, is among those leaving.
“There’s pieces and a lot of extra stuff laying around from the last few storms that we haven’t had the opportunity to clean up. And there’s no place to put it because a lot of us don’t have houses or anything at this point,” Mazza explained, expressing frustration over the lingering debris.
Neighbors say the frequency and intensity of these storms is becoming overwhelming.
“They’re getting too frequent, they’re getting bigger and bigger, and it definitely makes me feel like I don’t want to be here anymore. To be honest, yeah,” Boyd admitted, describing the growing sense of “hurricane fatigue” that many are feeling.
San Carlos Island is located in Zone A, and neighbors are being urged to evacuate if they have not already done so.
