Drone footage captures Hurricane Ian's destruction in Fort Myers Beach | USA TODAY

So sad to see. I was just here less than a week ago visiting my parents. My parents moved to Fort Myers 3 months ago and their place was completely underwater but they're alive which is all that matters.

So surreal, I took my children here just a month ago for their first beach vacation. I tried explaining this to them and realized I couldn’t fathom it any better than they were able to, the concept of this thriving city we were in just weeks ago being basically wiped off the map. I hope everyone effected by this a speedy recovery and rebuilding of your lives.

time to reconsider not rebuilding to such extremes

I saw a brief interview with a woman in Fort Myers: "Our house is gone. I knew this could happen, but didn't think it would happen to *us*!" - Bad things only happen to other people??? Positive-bias is a dangerous thing. To be brutally honest, all Floridians should expect this to happen if they live near the coast less than 10-feet above sea level. Less than 30-years from today, sea levels will have risen ~4-feet in populated areas like Tampa Bay and Cape Coral, not to mention the barrier islands. 15-inches per year! These places will be inundated and submerged for millenia. "Overall, sea level rise is making the odds of a South Florida flood reaching more than 4-feet above high tide by 2050. On par with the odds of losing at Russian roulette. More than half the population of more than 100 Florida towns and cities currently live on land below that 4-foot line." The opposite word (antonym) for "Paradise" is "Hell".

How in the world was their not countless-loss of life .. Hats off to all involved in preparation.. and people heeding warnings ..

this makes me so sad I've been there a handful of times as a kid coming from snow covered MI to beautiful ft. Myers. I've been wanting to go back for years now it's just destroyed its heartbreaking all those people lost so much.

I can't imagine who would live along the coastline knowing any year, during hurricane season, your home and life are at risk. Yes, here in the Midwest, we have tornados but they are much less common than hurricanes.

That's nuts. This was supposed to originally hit us here in manatee county head on. Can't even imagine. Been in Florida forever, and been lucky so far.

Heartbreaking for Florida, take courage God help you.

Behond words to describe, prayer to everyone effected by Ian in southwest Florida, this buckeye and wife loved to vacation there yearly,. Was there in April, and enjoyed the pier to take the sunset in and thankful we took many pictures, and was so down there 3 years ago on New years Eve at time square, celebrating the beach ball drop,. 😰💔

Looks like my childhood bedroom.

Thoughts and prayers going out to everybody 🙏 there. Love this area. Thinking of you all!

OMG. Tragic. The actual place where the Opening of Day of the Dead was shot completely destroyed. Much love to all.

I'm not sure I would stay after this, if Ft Myers had been my residence to return to. V depressing to know a once beautiful tourist attraction is unlivable and demolished.

Wow! Paradise lost!😢

😢lumber and other supplies are going to be ridiculous price as Fort Myers and other surrounding areas rebuild and supplies are shifted from other locations or brought up by contractors.

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Thats alot of damage

I lived there for six years. My friends and I used to play cards on the beach while our children ran around. My daughter was married in the Sanibel beach resort and we havd so many baseball games and I just can’t believe it all that was just gone

Hope safe for all people in here