Matlacha Before and After Hurricane Ian

I narrated some drone footage I took of Matlacha FL before Hurricane Ian and shortly after the storm passed, then again 30 days later.

[@BigfootSpringerSpaniels]

Thanks for making this video. I used to fish here quite often for snook, reds and tarpon as a boy. I pray for its wonderful return to greatness.

[@MA-ou5qp]

That whole area just seems like a bad place to build homes in retrospect -- considering Florida is prone to flooding/storms.

[@JJWM1025]

For the once in a 100 year storm, the rest of Florida life is great. Glad and proud we live here. It suits us like someone into skiing is suited up north.

[@janicesullivan8942]

California is subject to earthquakes, mud slides, and fires. Oklahoma gets earthquakes, floods and tornadoes. Arizona gets earthquakes, fires, and flash floods. The Midwest and East Coast States get tornados and crippling snowstorms. My point is no matter where you live there’s a potential natural disaster that can hit you at any time.

[@janicesullivan8942]

@Susel Exactly…Obama, Kerry, and Biden all have homes on the water. If most people could afford it, I think the majority of people would like to live on, or near the ocean, by a lake, or along a peaceful river.

[@grantofat6438]

@@janicesullivan8942 No matter where you live? The US is not the entire world. There do exist other countries, and many of them never have any natural disasters.

[@rinner2801]

It's a stupid place to build, and these homes are all eventually going underwater. Let's just hope taxpayers don't get stuck with the bill again.

[@waynehogue2499]

Can’t believe I’m the first comment. We were there in 2018 and loved it. We camped on Pine island. Thanks for the history lesson.

[@NoName-rm1nv]

Wow, you get a hero biscuit

[@therosarylady]

Thanks for taking the time to do this video. My Mom's favorite place 💕

[@dieseldick1264]

I live on the West Island. Across the street from the blue dog. Just wanted to say you did a nice job on your vid. Representing MATLACHA. Keep it up.

[@terrymcgraw]

I appreciate that! I hope things are getting better for you all.

[@dieseldick1264]

Yes it’s getting back to normal sum what.. they just started picking up the piles of debris in front of are houses… that touch of old Florida can never be brought back .

[@joeb134]

They should allow you to rebuild with fema money. I'm sorry but you should not be getting assistance for rebuilding on an island that will be wiped out by the next storm surge.

[@chrisemerson7743]

@@joeb134 have you ever been to New Orleans? We’re you saying the same thing after Katrina? I mean you act like a storm destroys this place every year! But guess what, this place had been there almost 100 years before this happened.

[@joeb134]

@@chrisemerson7743Everytime there is a hurricane in the Gulf, multiple of those islands get destroyed. With rising sea levels it's only gonna get worse. I've been to New Orleans and no, a large part should not have been rebuilt but you are talking about a whole metropolitan city. But again yes, as they get destroyed we should not be rebuilding in a lot of those spots. They just relocated a whole small town in Louisiana because of this. So glad you bring it up.

[@marlorodo]

You did an awesome job Mr McGraw! Thank you!

[@al2207]

unfortunately they will rebuild until the next storm ??

[@RHoDS713]

Do Californians rebuild after the "expected" seasonal fires that destroy their homes and communities? They choose to live in an arid environment fueled with dry underbrush and hot dry winds...it happens every year. Do you ask the same of them?

[@matthewp1682]

People love the lifestyle much more than the risk and outcomes of storms.

[@grantofat6438]

@@matthewp1682 Then they should stop complaining when their homes get destroyed or their friends and family get killed. But oh no, we all have to feel so sorry for them. >.

[@ozvill9453]

@@grantofat6438everywhere you live Mother Nature will try to destroy you moron.

[@joeb134]

There should be a no rebuild law for the barrier islands. It cost tax payers way to much money and those islands should be used for what they have been used for for thousands of years. Slowing the storm surge.

[@j.darrel517]

Excellent work, thank you for sharing

[@katnew4408]

Glad you did this drone recording

[@hotsteak]

Dad lived on Pine Island for 7 years back in 2010, While now living in Cape Coral now. Driving though here was one of my favorite things to this day. I was at Barts not even 2 weeks before the storm visiting, just o be there. Sad to see everything.

[@JJWM1025]

It was our favorite spot to take visitors. Such a quaint happy place. We sadly never got a chance to eat at Bert's. We heard the food was good there. Our favorite spot to hit was Blue Dog Cafe. I hope they can build it back better and stronger to be as resilient as the folks who live there.

[@dorisperkins3722]

@@JJWM1025 Ate at the Blue Dog today. It was as good as ever.

[@felixcat9318]

Constructing flimsy structures in a known flooding, storm and hurricane zone can only ever have one outcome!

[@scottteven3196]

Great story and narration

[@lunarastra3103]

Thank you! My Aunt and Uncle lived on TRIGGERFISH St. and then it was left to me. I never knew the history of the Island! My own fault...I wonder if the house made it? Also I want to know why the officials never disclosed how many people went missing/ confirmed dead? They did the same thing after hurricane Michael...

[@terrymcgraw]

If you want me to check on the property just let me know

[@JohnJohn-wr1jo]

We're hearing that there are likely hundreds more missing in Lee County alone from Ian. Many of them homeless. Haven't seen a recent update but as of a few weeks ago there were close to 300 SS checks in ft myers beach alone that had gone unclaimed/uncashed by the homeless since Ian. In order to count a death there has to be a body and identification of that person to count in the official toll. To answer your question people want to forget about the deaths and move on.

[@billmadison2032]

This storm does not compare to Michael. The amount of damage to infrastructure and property made it almost impossible to navigate. Have you ever lived in a hurricane zone?

[@JJWM1025]

@@billmadison2032 Michael? This storm was bigger than Michael and Irma and even Charlie. I'm not sure what you are saying. Yes, I grew up in Virginia. Virginia Beach has had its fair share of hurricanes.

[@dharmapada]

Why rebuild in such a place. Wouldn’t this likely happen again down the road. And how do you expect to get insured again?

[@lyniestark8897]

Thank you for that many do not know the history of the white boot society of Pine Island...I knew at one time during the 90s it was deem a historical as site and resident were not allow to paint their home anything other than white ...so much of the historic value of Matlacha has give way to tourist dollars like it was Key West and lost is the importance of the people that built it so thank you for video !

[@fishgeralding9224]

Good video with interesting history. Maybe do pine Island next, interesting history there too. There's a marker/plaque at Ponce De Leon Park in Punta Gorda with a bit of interesting history of Pine Island there. Prayers to Lee county from a former resident in Georgia. 🙏

[@terrymcgraw]

Great suggestions, thank you. I have quite a bit of footage of Pine Island after the Hurricane as well.

[@alalexander9890]

Interesting story. Nice footage!

[@DRHON-EL]

very interesting footage ! i subscribe

[@FatBlueCrab]

2:35 I just wanted to say, you can smell the death as you said. Boaters were seeing corpses floating all around the bay, and it says the death count is only 123 for all of florida

[@michellegarry1872]

Right after the hurricane, the state ordered 10,000 body bags. I’m sure many were washed away. Also, sharks were seen feeding on corpses.

[@richardaugat8997]

This is not true. At all.

[@FatBlueCrab]

@@richardaugat8997 I dont really care what you think because I know what I know sense I actually live here

[@michellegarry1872]

@@richardaugat8997 this info came directly from a CC cop the next day. Unfortunately it is true.

[@richardaugat8997]

@@michellegarry1872 I literally came down here for Hurrican relief. My teams were taking boats back and forth to Sanibel, every day, since -5 days after the storm. We have been in contact with all LEO's across both FTMB, COLL, etc... 100% not true.

[@darlajean1045]

The “scent” is all the red tide we have right now 🤢 it’s awful!

[@JJWM1025]

The scent is way worse than the smell of red tide. Have you ever left raw meat in the fridge too long and then got hit with the horrendous smell when you opened the package? Multiply that odor by 100 and you will come close. Red tide does not carry that same weight. I promise you.

[@Fedgery007]

Lots of homes on slabs instead of raised and lots of trailers it looks like. Why?!

[@starcrib]

Next on the Menu: American Human Habitat Loss, Managed Retreat, Planetary Hospice. 🌊

[@Dragonfly657]

Very interesting history It definitely fits. I’ve never really liked the area. It gave me a squatter feeling 😊

[@bug2011]

My heart aches for all those suffering from this devastation.

[@chucky6367]

I'm also saddened by so much loss to so many people. It just confuses me why people build in places like this in the first place? It's fill, nature didn't put it there.

[@larrysorenson4789]

Very similar to the creation of the peninsula at Newport Beach in southern California.

[@terrymcgraw]

Clearly I have a lot to learn about editing. I am a long way from KZbin fame :)

[@BigBirdy100]

"A tough and resilient breed"...and gluttons for punishment. Can y'all please stop driving up insurance across the country. Either stop building on the water or build it elevated and strong enough to survive a hurricane, i.e. poured concrete. You didn't use an external mic. Lots of sound reverberation. I could not understand some of your sentences as you tend to trail off.

[@JJWM1025]

Research, research, research. It is not the building in Florida, it is the laws surrounding insurance and lawyers, and inflated claims.

[@Logoned]

This was one of our favorite places to just walk around and/or go for dinner in Florida, also gigged many times in Matlacha. One portion of one of the islands looks washed out into the water. The people in Matlacha have fought several times not to be incorporated into the City of Cape Coral, I don't blame them. Why risk losing it's charm to developers.

[@Chris-kf3xd]

It should not be rebuilt. And if rebuilt then let the owners pay the full cost not the us government .

[@jamesbeard7797]

A famous Guy once said, Build your house on a rock.

[@Proverbs--tx6yr]

He is a wise deity indeed ✝️

[@rainman7992]

we love it here !....NOT any more. So many homes missing...will anybody be cited for littering ?

[@mulvey0731]

The governor of Florida did in three days what our governor in Louisiana hasn’t done yet in three years!!!!! Our 210 bridge (a vital link along I-10 if the 70 year old I -10 bridge fails) was refurbished to new condition just before Hurricane Laura. The same thing happened to us as did in Ft. Myers (150 mph winds as storm came ashore). Our bridge is still a shambles with torn off light poles there TODAY! You live in the USA. We do not!😕🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@4Marktk]

Building houses on sandbars incredibly stupid Rebuilding on sandbars insane "My friend with the Remax Office" hahaha

[@Proverbs--tx6yr]

What’s funny? Pretty warped sense of humor…

[@gavinvalentino6002]

You spelled *Metallica* incorrectly.

[@d.b.4162]

So sad 😢

[@ratofvengence]

Of course I mourn the loss of people's homes (and hope they weren't in them when they went!), but surely rebuilding in the same place isn't the best of ideas...

[@eprofessio]

God bless.

[@lotanerve]

God also hurricanes.

[@eprofessio]

@@lotanerve yes, that’s true.

[@brooks8792]

Needs to be returned to nature and those who developed and sold property sued.

[@jerrywalker6043]

I feel the same way about where you live. After all, it used to be nature there too.

[@Helloverlord]

@@jerrywalker6043 You do understand the point of calculated risk? If a risk of death by elements is obvious and high why bother living there? Think.

[@jerrywalker6043]

@@Helloverlord Who said anything about risk, calculated or otherwise? I was responding to the nonsensical comment by the OP. Read.

[@tammyshaftner]

Another white water...

[@petegregory517]

@@jerrywalker6043 And as we’ve been forced to think, the whole US needs returned to the natives. White POS’s stole it. Tear it down? Bet tons of freshly printed green would change minds, if put in the right hands.

[@stephaniewalsh67]

I have family with homes there. I wonder if developers will come in buy up lots and property and turn it into a resort for the wealthy?

[@larrysorenson4789]

Oh, those damn wealthy. You mean the hard working slob who saves up to take his family on a week’s vacation? You mean those nasty folk who actually go to the restaurants and tip the waitress 15%? Or do you mean the rich folks who buy the tourist junk and put it on the coffee table in Cleveland to remind them that there are better places to live. Golly, you hate them. They should all stay home. 🤣

[@ashleydavis3342]

Yes. Especially Fort Myers Beach

[@JJWM1025]

Some have started doing so at FMB.

[@christrotter3052]

☹️

[@peterbechard1900]

And here we see why nobody should be developing in places like this. They certainly shouldn’t be allowed to rebuild only relocate. All the rest of Florida ends up paying for these few who didn’t have the common sense to live where this kind of destruction is expected. This video does more to explain the insurance crisis in Florida that is screwing responsible homeowners to cover loses from insuring folks that live in dangerous areas like this. I will morn the loss of life but stop asking the rest of us to get priced out of our insurance for people that build homes in places like barrier islands.

[@terrymcgraw]

Our insurance is high because of ridiculous tort laws and passing the legal fees of hyper inflated claims and lawsuits to the insurance companies. People have been living and thriving on islands and coastal plains for all of human history. The answer is modernizing building codes. The Netherlands and Virginia Beach are testimonies to proper land management in flood planes. Those that cannot afford to rebuild to modern codes will be bought out by those that can, and the area will thrive.

[@memestillidie]

@@terrymcgraw I have lived in the Netherlands and I dont think you can use the Netherlands as a example though, you can't build a dike around all of Florida. Very few people live on the ocean coast in the Netherlands. Not saying they can't live in Florida but living on the beach or that close to the beach is not right, they need to let the mangroves and other coastal plant life come back.

[@RHoDS713]

Same could be said for California. Massive fires are seasonal and expected. Followed by mud slides after a light rain shower. Throw in a few earthquakes for good measure. They should move. They're causing my insurance rates to go up.

[@memestillidie]

@@RHoDS713 I am not saying people can't live in Florida though or visit the beach, I am saying that they shouldn't live on the beach. A majority of the damage done was done by the water brought in from the hurricane and it being slapped onto homes and cars destroying them. There should be mangroves and other plant life along the beach that could prevent this from happening, however it would mean no longer having houses and other buildings on the beach.

[@4.9copblank49]

Sad

[@johnryman1366]

How idiotic to rebuild on what should never have been built on in the first place.

[@TheMusicHeals.kjhjhhg]

Sorry zero sympathy look were they build those and fully knowing 100% that this not could but will 100% happen. now they will get insurance money build in the same exact place while run up everyone insurance cost that dont even live there.

[@rideshareog]

I wish I could give a flying f*#k about homes at zero sea level. Choices, the ones they make cost me money. Zero aid, zero attempts to rescue.

[@blaster-zy7xx]

They didn’t cost you anything. You are just an asshole.

[@rideshareog]

@@blaster-zy7xx and damn proud of it!

[@blaster-zy7xx]

@@rideshareog Obviously a Trump supporter, and proud of that too.

[@rideshareog]

@@blaster-zy7xx you couldn't be more wrong I damn sure not a Biden supporter either. There's a reason the lexicon has the word Floridaman.

[@blaster-zy7xx]

@@rideshareog Floridaman announces run for presidency.

[@santafedave1051]

Restore the peoples Heritage ban coastal builders

[@jorget1538]

However there are more stronger hurracaines to come. Only the wise man build his house on the rock. NOT on sand.

[@easyb622]

These people was asking for trouble building a house on a man made island

[@mitrasookram851]

Sorry to say, sea level rise and hurricanes are tougher!

[@luke021380]

It looked like mother nature cleaned that mess up. Hopefully ignorant folks don't rebuild there

[@markconner3234]

Ya live on the water,ya roll the dice. Gov DeSantis did a hell of a job reopening this passage and Sanibel causeway

[@lourdesdoty7765]

Yes, he got billions in the same federal funding he voted against.

[@mhand6910]

Hard to have any sympathy for people living in Floriduh! Hopefully mother nature reclaims the whole state!

[@terrymcgraw]

DLORIDA Strong

[@JJWM1025]

It is your choice to live elsewhere. No one is mocking your choice or wishing your area harm.