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://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ea96860/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2963x1657+0+0/resize/880x492!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F03%2Fxnpr-selects-1600-sanibel-causeway_custom-8787e2aa483ed057139f667cdef2cb1c0a7ea452.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
![Boats are piled off on the marina of Fisherman's Wharf.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c1f9cf4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2963x1683+0+0/resize/880x500!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F03%2Fxnpr-selects-1315-fishermans-warf_custom-7175b7a76b6fad9394674fab0d477bd376ceac8a.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://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7fd9c30/2147483647/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 Fort Myers Beach Lighthouse was left standing after Hurricane Ian.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5de0561/2147483647/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://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/61f1228/2147483647/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://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7e83205/2147483647/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://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b3ac7d1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2979x1673+0+0/resize/880x494!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.npr.org%2Fassets%2Fimg%2F2022%2F10%2F03%2Fxnpr-selects-1457-sanibel-beach-condos_custom-199c487702ec3031570b2b9cfa47721432b21115.jpg)
/ Thomas James for WGCU/NPR
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Thomas James for WGCU/NPR