Time seems to be flying by. It might be due to the change of routine. We have lived in six different places in the last six months, after all. We spent a few hours on our roof during Helene, after disobeying repeated orders to evacuate. We were sure we’d seen storms like Helene before and had no flooding, quite the opposite. Maybe the crash course on post-hurricane recovery, the hours spent learning about FEMA’s Rules and how the SBA and others might help. It could be the added full-time job of trying to get permits from the city and line up trades to make the house welcoming again.
Maybe it is just because I am getting older, and everyone feels the same way. It’s April 2025, six months since the flood and life is beginning to return to the barrier islands. The beaches are open and busy on warm, sunny days, which are becoming more plentiful with spring’s arrival. From our current nest, eight stories up in a downtown condo, we encounter far fewer flood victims. Even on the barrier islands, our original distribution area, there are neighborhoods that escaped flood damage, almost entirely. Vina Del Mar, our cover story this month, is a case in point. Real estate prices in Fort Myers plummeted for 17 months after Ian’s visit, then recovered and continued rising. As long as we have a quiet summer, the same result is likely here.
It is my guess that new single-story construction on the barrier islands is history. Thankfully, life continues virtually uninterrupted on the mainland, with over 1,000 restaurants in St. Petersburg alone. Most beach restaurants are back too; even the iconic Don CeSar was advertising brunch as early as April 1. Local arts galleries, classes, performance venues and more are back open. Even new places are opening. Take a look at our arts and leisure and events listings, which covers 14 pages in the back of the magazine.
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