The vast majority of those jobs are in accommodation and food services. The Sunshine State’s leisure and hospitality sector employ more than 1.2 million people, a 9.6% increase from last year, according to the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity. “I am afraid it will be a long time before we can get back in the Island to fully access the damage,” the beach resort said in a Facebook post, adding that it can’t begin contacting people with future reservations until utilities have been restored. Sanibel Moorings Resort, located on the barrier island, said its offices “appear to have been washed through completely” and will remain closed until further notice. “Sanibel Island is pretty much gone,” Dover said. “All of our hotels and restaurants are either gone completely or have a long way to go to get back on their feet.” The hurricane severely damaged the Sanibel Causeway, the 3-mile connector between the island and mainland Florida, cutting off access to the community of 6,300 people. Ron DeSantis called a “biblical” storm surge. Sanibel, a barrier island in Lee County southwest of Fort Myers, was devastated by Ian after getting hit by what Gov. President Joe Biden said Ian could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida’s history. Hurricane Ian slammed into the Fort Myers area on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, flooding buildings and leaving millions without power. So far, the death toll is at least 27, the Associated Press reported Friday. More: 37 photos of the iconic pier at Fort Myers Beach before it was destroyed by Hurricane Ian “Places that people are used to going to that are no longer in existence, I'm afraid that it could be a year or two, could be years before that even gets back to any form of normalcy,” said Carol Dover, president of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association. But the storm’s path of destruction along the southwest coast left many businesses facing a long rebuilding process. Major tourist attractions in central Florida began reopening Friday after Hurricane Ian ripped through the state. View Gallery: Hurricane Ian heavily damages Sanibel and St.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |