Sanibel Island was a perfect escape for many people from South Florida. A place to pick shells, see nature, have a good meal, kick back in the sand.
Now it’s a disaster zone.
Hurricane Ian washed over the beloved island Wednesday, cleaving away a section of the only causeway from the mainland, leaving scarred asphalt and ruined property. It’s unclear if anyone died.
READ MORE: Your favorite Sanibel hangouts were ground zero of hurricane. A look at some of them
Here are some early photos of the rescue operation and the devastation along Sanibel:
A U.S. Coast Guard aircrew hoists people from flooded areas near Sanibel, Florida, after Hurricane Ian, Sept. 29, 2022. Crews continue to conduct search and rescue operations in affected areas.
A damaged causeway to Sanibel Island is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian , Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, near Sanibel Island, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
A section of the damaged Sanibel Causeway seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, near Sanibel Island, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
A section of the causeway leading to Sanibel, Fla., in Lee County was knocked out by Hurricane Ian Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022. Hurricane Ian has left a path of destruction in southwest Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, damaging the roof of a hospital intensive care unit and knocking out power to 2.5 million people. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A section of the Sanibel Causeway was lost due to the effects of Hurricane Ian Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
A home burns on Sanibel Island in the wake of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
A military helicopter sits down on Sanibel Island in the wake of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Damaged homes are seen in the wake of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, on Sanibel Island, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
