As we've been hearing the flooding is so bad in some Florida communities
that relief agencies and others are having trouble getting to some
of the hardest hit areas that includes many journalists, including
our team. Wendy Powell is one of the local reporters who stayed to
report on the storm and its aftermath. She is the editor of the Naples
Daily News, and she and her colleagues are working in a makeshift
newsroom in Fort Myers. And she joins me now, so Wendy Powell, what
are you dealing with? In the Naples for?
Myers area right now, In terms of what you have to cover, we are
dealing with mass devastation. We have islands that have been, um,
disconnected from the mainland and the island of Santa Bell.
The causeway collapsed into the day and so there is absolutely no
way to get on that island. Fort Myers Beach is another island where
it's absolutely have seen pictures and we haven't physically we've
had people on the island, but we have not been able to get on there.
The devastation is just beyond what I've ever seen in my entire career.
What do you seeing in terms of, um human, uh, human situation where
people are are people stranded? Do you know any any more about the
need for either hospital or medical help that that is that people
have right now we know that they're keeping their still doing search
and rescue efforts. We actually had a reporter that took a boat ride
out to Captiva Island and was able to get was on the boat with three
of the last people.
Were rescued from that island. We had reporters and photographers
that were on jet skis today, trying to get out to another island
to see what the situation was there. Um, there's uh, that their power
there is no power the supplies. Um some of the gas stations started
returning to
Oh, being open operating, and the lines are just around the corner,
backing up two interstates and so the frustration level for those
that are only without the power and connectivity. But then they're
just so many people that have lost absolutely everything. And, um,
and it's truly truly a devastating situation. It sounds just almost
unimaginable. And we heard you say this is the worst you have ever
seen. Is it your sense
Wendy Powell that the relief effort
Firms that people are going to need are going to be there. We just
heard the gentleman from the Red Cross say they are. They are still
collecting information before they can even go out and do anything.
They absolutely are. You know, the islands have been substantially
cut off. For the most part. We were on a boat where they were bringing
some supplies out to a couple of the islands. The rescue efforts.
The relief teams that are here are from all over the country, including
actually outside of the country. And so they are here ready to help.
Been watching is the Coast Guard has been in there and and flying
people out and landing them at shelter properties around southwest
Florida.
Um, so so they have. They first have to go in there and do some of
the clean up. One of the one of our eyewitnesses that was on Fort
Myers Beach, compared the levels of sand that were scooped off of
the main road, sort of like the aftermath of a snowstorm, where you
see those piles of snow at the bottom of the hill.
And so it's, uh, they they're they're doing. I do believe they're
doing the best, absolute best that they can. At this point. It's
going to be frustrating. It's not going to be a quick recovery for
anybody. You know, our journalists alone would have been impacted
have lost homes, so they're you know they're dealing with that as
well. Well, it's certainly does sound overwhelmingly, Thank you so
much for talking with us. Wendy Powell of the Naples Daily News