--- title: "Entire Islands Severed From Florida by Hurricane Ian" description: "Hurricane Ian destroyed the causeways that connect Sanibel Island, along with several other barrier islands off the Florida Coast, to the mainland." date: "2022-09-29" modified: "2022-09-29" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/islands-severed-florida-hurricane" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "florida" - "hurricane ian" - "natural disaster" - "the digest" --- # Entire Islands Severed From Florida by Hurricane Ian ![Hurricane Ian destroyed the causeways that connect Sanibel Island, along with several other barrier islands off the Florida Coast, to the mainland.]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Disaster Zone Hurricane Ian hit Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm yesterday, [ripping through the region]() with sustained winds as high as 115 miles per hour and a storm surge so extreme that, like a tsunami, it [drained the water]() from Tampa Bay's shores as it gathered power. While the damage is still being assessed, the portrait of Ian's destruction is already striking. Millions of homes and businesses are [flooded and without power](), and the hurricane was so powerful that it reportedly [left the bridge]() that connects the Lee County's Sanibel and Captiva Islands — barrier islands off the Fort Meyers coast that are usually home to several thousands of Floridians — in pieces. Those islands, along with a few others, are now only accessible by boat — a logistical nightmare for rescue and clean-up operations, not to mention any evacuated residents wanting to return home. ## Off the Grid *The Miami Herald* [reports that]() a major chunk of that bridge, the Sanibel Causeway, was completely torn away, while the mainland road that feeds into it is currently "folded up like an accordion." The causeway to Pine Island, another barrier island in the area, is also impassible. "Lee and Charlotte \[counties\] are basically off the grid at this point," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reportedly said during a Thursday press briefing, adding according to the *Miami Herald* that it's still unclear how many people might still be on the impacted islands. Per *[The Fort Meyers News-Press]()*, federal rescue assistance will be dispatched as soon as possible, but when that will be is unfortunately still fuzzy. "We are aware of a number of calls from people stranded due to high water," the Lee County Public Safety Director Ben Abes told the *Fort Meyers News-Press*. "However, we are faced with conditions that make it impossible to respond right now." ## Ian's Toll Though the worst of the storm itself is over, the extent of its toll is only beginning. "This is going to be a very difficult, trying time for the next several months," Lee County manager Roger Desjarlais told the *Fort Meyers News-Press*. "The response and recovery effort is going to be complex, it is going to be costly and it is going to require very concentrated efforts by federal state and local government agencies and the private sector." **READ MORE:** [Hurricane Ian leaves trail of misery with its long, slow trip through Southwest Florida]() \[*Fort Meyers* *News-Press*\] **More on Hurricane Ian:** *[Space Station Flies over Hurricane, Shows What It Looks like from Above]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()