Hurricane Ian destroyed several portions of the Sanibel Causeway, the series of bridges that connects mainland Florida to Sanibel Island — which is home to some 6,500 people and located just south of where the storm made landfall. The Category 4 storm caused severe damage and flooding to Fort Myers and other gulf coast cities.
Take a look at the photos.
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![Hurricane Ian destroyed several portions of the Sanibel Causeway.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/760a440/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x3376+0+0/resize/880x495!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F04%2Fsanibel-dsc01600_custom-e02438f67d99bbc7859357c1dc655c67b4fb219e.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
![Boats are piled up on the marina of Fisherman's Wharf.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/192b8f2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3845x2226+0+0/resize/880x509!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F04%2Fboats-done-dsc01315_custom-4045c2ece93a3fc97c3b3cb6c7c68cdf6a99e18e.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
![The Causeway leading to Fort Myers Beach and at the end, the Times Square area, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/7c04c2f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2984x1688+0+0/resize/880x498!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F03%2Fxnpr-selects-1086-time-square_custom-867abcd4880c7fb67952d32c89c452d958e97dc4.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
![The Sanibel Lighthouse was left standing after Hurricane Ian.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/c96780f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2984x1673+0+0/resize/880x493!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F03%2Fxnpr-selects-1379-sanibel-lighthouse_custom-a82cd08673a347c132f7d6badbf89895313fb9ac.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
![This is the view farther south on Estero Boulevard, the main drag on Fort Myers Beach.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/96e81f1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2984x1678+0+0/resize/880x495!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F03%2Fxnpr-selects-1218-south-ft-myers-beach_custom-ebec2dbe2b280ff3be40a9cfde1357cea30ef382.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
![Sanibel beaches eroded as storm surge cut inlets into the island. It's unknown what happened to nesting turtles.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/5bf77d3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2984x1673+0+0/resize/880x493!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F03%2Fxnpr-selects-1500-sanibel-beach-erosion_custom-5831df60e0219281aebb2adec44d8bfd8a2c49fe.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
![Buildings on Sanibel didn't fare well in the storm surge of Hurricane Ian.](https://assets.vpm.org/dims4/default/b12f59a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3628x2212+0+0/resize/880x537!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F04%2Fsimming-pool-donedsc01457_custom-17e6c83cc12bae9ec876b5412090eaa96c26064b.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR