Florida Resident Recounts her Hurricane Ian Experience
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images. Fort Myers Beach, Fla. In an aerial view, damaged buildings are seen as Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022
Hurricane Ian devastated Florida’s southwestern coast, making landfall as a Category 4 storm. As one of the most powerful storms in U.S. history, Hurricane Ian packed winds of 155 mph and caused catastrophic storm surges, leaving more than 2 million people without power.
“We haven’t seen anything like this in our lives,” says Alexis Mariginean, who was staying at her grandparents condo at the Lausanne Condo Homeowners Association in Naples, Fla., when Hurricane Ian hit. “My grandparents have lived in this building for 35 years and haven’t seen anything like this.” The storm caused a door to buckle, causing water to pour into the first floor of the 8-story building.
Mariginean is doing OK, and feels lucky to be alive. “The building is a complete mess and there is a lot of work to be done. The elevator, parking garage, and lower level of the building are completely flooded,” she adds.
CAI members are looking for ways to help our Florida Chapter members impacted by Hurricane Ian. A list of resources in Florida can be found here.
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Laura Otto is the Senior Editor of Digital Content at CAI. A seasoned journalist, Laura previously worked for a creative, advocacy agency in Washington, D.C., where she wrote and edited content for a variety of public health clients. Prior to that, Laura served as a senior writer and editor for the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Laura is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia.