The only bridge connecting Sanibel and Captiva islands to Florida was partially destroyed by Hurricane Ian, which was downgraded to a tropical storm on Thursday.
The damage to the Sanibel Causeway was revealed Thursday morning. It runs between Fort Meyers and Sanibel Island, which is near where the storm made landfall on Wednesday afternoon.
It’s not clear how many people chose to remain on Sanibel Island. Reports say that about 6,000 people lived there.
Both Sanibel and Captiva islands were placed under evacuation orders before the storm approached Florida’s western coast.
Local media outlets published photos showing a significant piece of the causeway had collapsed into the water. Some estimated the gap is about 50 feet in length. Other video footage shows that at least three sections of the bridge were washed away during the storm….