It was a wild ride to say the least, sitting at home for twelve hours as the slow slow forward speed kept hurricane Ian over our home for way too long. We were not hit hard like some, some minor flooding that took out some cabinets, roof tiles peeled off, plant life destroyed, it'll take weeks to get back in shape, but I'm feeling so grateful, we know many who lost everything. This storm caught us all off guard. Up until twenty four hours before Ian hit, we were still being told it would land somewhere between Tampa and Sarasota, then as time went on it simply got closer and closer. At this point I75 and 41 were blocked and tornado warnings were popping up all around. I understand why most of the people I know stayed.

This picture was not staged, at least not by me. The beach was closed but I snook on to see the carnage for myself. It was heartbreaking...I have never seen anything like it. Furniture and personal belongings spread over the once golden sands for as far as the eye could see. Someone had placed a flag on a pile of rubble, and I simply took the shot. It captures the spirit of the people here who are working tirelessly to get the town back to the beautiful beach community it has always been.