Aerial view of Hurricane Ian damage on Fort Myers Beach, Florida

It is great to have a reporter who knows the area so well do the commentary. Excellent!

This is the best video I've seen of where my former house used to be, on Madison Ct. At 19:01 time-line. It is clearly gone but the lot looks quite green because of all the palms, trees and shrubs we planted. Lost our fresh water mini-pond, yrs ago in an unpredicted storm surge that rolled across the island. The white Sears house across the street is still there. It, along with 5 other Sears homes were barged to the island and the homes were constructed on site, many yrs ago. Strong bones! Thank you for posting...just breaks my heart for everyone affected by this hurricane...

Beyond excellent reporting!!! So so so sad of situation.

So dizzying to watch! Who is on the camera? I cannot keep watching this

A reporter with real sorrow in her voice, unlike so many others.

I have lived in SW FL for the last 55 years of my life, have been to Ft Myers Beach countless times. Always loved it, our own little tropical SW FL paradise. And to see it now after Ian, totally wiped out, it's just so heartbreaking I am crying watching this. It will never be the same there, certainly not in my lifetime. What a loss for those who lived there, visited there, for our whole community in general! So sad, but thank you for posting this.

My heart aches for the home owners, business owners and 1000's of employees that this area supported. Crazy. Will never be the same. A part of "old Florida" is gone forever.

Thanks Kellie. Loving your coverage!! Thanks for sharing with us all.🙏🏽❤️

I live in North Fort Myers and this is so heartbreaking. My home sustained limited damage. My prayers are with all of the victims. 🙏😭💔✝️

Moved away from the Iona area in Ft Myers. Front threshold was 6.5 feet above sea level. People fall in love with a property and do not understand the power of water . Go to the Sanibel museum and check out the sign of the highest level of storm surge. I believe it’s 14 feet 100 years ago. This will happen again.

The state of Florida should offer to buy all destroyed waterfront properties at fair market value and turn them all into public access recreational and conservation land. Of course this would require some new taxes, but the public benefit would be so worth it. And it would cost less than all the emergency bailout money when the hurricane hits. All the best waterfront in florida belongs to rich people so unless you have a boat, accessing the water can be frustrating. This would open up even more tourism possibilities, and ultimately improve everyone's quality of life in Florida.

clean up crews "so where do we start?" faint

You deserve an Award for this coverage and the one on Sanibel. Amazing.

I live in Port Charlotte Florida about 40 min north of Ft Meyers!! I raced to my friends hurricane proof home with generaters but watched that hurricane pound us for about 9 hours straight!!! My home was further in but my whole neighborhood took a beating but I lost a few shingles and all trees in area in my back yard!! But volunteers from all over told me they will remove them!! I survived a tornedo while living in Kansas City and came up from basement to open air and half my house gone!!

My heart goes our to all affected... We certainly take huge risk building in paradise..

Spending today watching videos of ian damages. Nothing I'm facing today comes close to this.

This breaks my heart. I had some great times at the Lani Kai with someone I really and truly cared about. This is just so surreal. I was just there a year ago. Such a beautiful place just gone

This is devastating. But you should expect nothing less when you build on water & a hurricane hits. Yes, eventually, it will hit you. I'm a native Floridian (yes we do exist) & IMO coastal building shouldn't be allowed anywhere. Period.

Diamond Head Beach Resort is Leaning Whoa! Yeah Thousands of people are missing they cant give us the True Numbers Much Love and Prayers for all.

I live in Estero and loved this area, it is unreal to see how much destruction there is and how much erased. I think of the lady who I always bought sunglasses from near the sunset beach grill, her business gone. Lives lost and changed forever. And man I will miss SOB, such a great place