At the southern end of Estero Bay, 10 miles south of Fort Myers Beach, the once pristine island community of Bonita Beach was left in a battered state. The popular beach area that teemed with life was now covered in debris, dunes of sand towering six feet or higher, and deep pools of water. Traveling north along the island’s main road, Hickory Boulevard, wide gaps of what were once homes could be seen along the road, now washed away by the receding storm surge that dragged any and all back into the Gulf.
In one part of the street, a group had gathered to watch as their neighbor’s damaged house was torn down. “I live right next door here. I wasn’t home, but my son was staying here when it hit. My truck was in the garage on the first floor and when the water came in it bounced it around against every wall like a pinball,” one person told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay before returning to the track loader outside his house and pushing more debris towards the edge of the street.
Dump trucks filled with sand and debris were raced up and down the street, transporting entire loads off of Bonita Beach and the neighboring Big Hickory Island. On either end of the island, police set up checkpoints to monitor who exited and entered and help control the flow of traffic. Many other officers were seen patrolling the island on 4x4 beach vehicles, checking for anyone who needed assistance and making sure people’s homes remained safe and untouched by any with ill intent. As vehicles moved up and down the street, dust and sand kicked up into the air creating a thick, hazy cloud across the island. Many houses on the island were known for their creative mailboxes, as could be seen by one that was fashioned out of an old kayak. Without a second look, it appears as if it was left by the storm, as it fits right in with its damaged surroundings.
On the northern end of the island, cars were flipped and buried around the lots and yards. An entire beach access parking lot was lost and washed away, and at another a lone life vest hung on a branch. At the very northern point, a basketball court and tennis court were covered in sand. In Broadway Channel, cars were sunken in the channel underneath the docks, seeming to have been carried over from the Seascape Condos; 300 feet back across the road. Across the channel on Big Hickory Island, bits and pieces of houses were dropped into the mangroves along with entire boats.
On the southern end of the island, the popular restaurant Doc’s Beach House was under heavy repair after its entire first floor had to be gutted after water damage. This restaurant used to be restless, with beach goers coming and going, as jet skis and other watercraft raced back and forth in the Gulf waters out front. Now all that was left of the restaurant’s outdoor patio was its concrete tables and benches, left sitting next to a pile of debris. The ever active island, usually filled with laughter and chatter, was now replaced by the sounds of construction equipment and crumbling buildings.
“Six of our employees lost their homes,” said a Doc’s employee as she drove down the island for the first time. “We lost our jobs. The entire first floor is gone. My girlfriend's house is down here on the island so I wanted to come down and check on things. So many homes and lives lost, it's heartbreaking and terrifying.”
The setting sun cast a golden glow upon the wreckage of the island, creating a surreal landscape among the constantly moving construction vehicles. Throughout Southwest Florida, the community has united and become stronger than ever, rising out of the dark storm. Residents of all areas keep their hopes high and eyes set on the future as they work day and night to restore the much loved communities back to their former glory and with new plans to strengthen the coastline.