'Indescribable somberness:' Community struck by Ian, Debby and Helene faces yet another hurricane

AccuWeather

Storm chaser Mike Scantlin provided an emotional look at a Florida community that's had to bounce back from hurricane after hurricane, with one that's potentially even worse on the way now.

Transcript

00:00our coverage continues right now with storm chaser mike scantlin he joins us from port charlotte

00:05florida with an update we just spoke with the mayor of fort myers florida uh mike now he told

00:12us that all of the debris has been cleared in the fort myers area in port charlotte not quite so

00:23that's correct um but you know we actually just to clarify we did reposition to fort myers here

00:30for this next live shot i'm i apologize for not clarifying that with them but uh we're actually

00:34standing in the spot just over the you can see the mandatory evacuation sign right here the

00:39barrier island is right on the other side of that bridge here so we're kind of uh ground zero for

00:43where hurricane ian was and this rv park here we've got people already people are just pulling

00:48out with their rvs uh this is an rv park that was absolutely wrecked by hurricane ian and then we

00:53had six to ten feet of storm surge in august here in this exact same spot from hurricane debbie

00:58and then we have hurricane hurricane helene here in the end of september which brought three to five

01:02feet of storm surge to this area and now this area is under the gun again here with uh likely

01:08catastrophic storm surge the only thing that's going to save this spot here from catastrophic

01:11storm surge with this storm is if they get the center of the storm here and keep the onshore

01:15flow to the south so um i mean it's just it's hard you can't tell what's damaged from what

01:21because there's just so much debris uh you know like like he said the debris most of the debris

01:26of the debris piles are gone but this rv park right here you can see where the lots have been

01:31recently cleared people have left their belongings we've got uh picnic tables with stuff still on

01:35them uh stairs sets of stairs that are abandoned people just uh packed up and left and you can't

01:40blame them uh you know i would i would be out of here too i would not be caught anywhere near this

01:45when this when this storm rolls in so uh mandatory evacuation starting at three o'clock here in fort

01:50myers and uh devastation in in every direction from either of the three three storms that have

01:56been here the last uh couple months and then hurricane ian two years ago so it's hard to

02:00really tell what damage is from what and mike you are getting the sense that a lot of residents

02:05are indeed evacuating from this area right and uh you know we haven't talked to anyone who who

02:14really has the mindset of we're going to stay and write it out and rightfully so i mean if

02:18if hurricane ian and hurricane debbie and hurricane helene haven't uh you know taught

02:24people what they need to do when they're under the gun then i guess there's really no help in

02:28some people but you know the uh the main the main focus everyone here is just get out of town

02:34just pack up get out and uh hopefully salvage what's left whenever you come back but you know

02:39a lot of the people in this area have probably done that three times now over the last uh two

02:44years so i i just can't imagine being in that situation you know i i uh i mean there's just no

02:50words for it yeah mike i'm just joining uh it's ariella and i can in your voice i can tell that

02:57something's really bothering you about being here is it the fact that it's just been storm after

03:00storm for these people and they're still dealing with the destruction or is it particularly what

03:05milton's going to bring well i'm uh i'm an emotional fellow and you know i like severe

03:13weather i always have it's a it's a strange dynamic when your life revolves around something

03:17that causes so much heartbreak and you know it takes things from people over and over again

03:21especially in areas like this where it's over and over again like i was standing in this exact

03:25same spot with a reporter bill waddell two years ago talking to people who had lost everything

03:30and you know to think that those same people have lost everything again twice in just the last

03:33couple of months and are potentially about to do it again it's just uh there are no words to

03:38describe the feeling in the atmosphere and the feeling of of me personally standing here again

03:42seeing what's about to what's about to take place again it's uh there are no words for it it's it's

03:48indescribable somberness it's it's it's unimaginable i couldn't imagine living here

03:54and um you know i just hope people in the path are taking it seriously this time around if they

03:59haven't the previous three i mean if that doesn't tell you what you need to do i don't really know

04:03what else there is to to teach well mike we can hear the emotion in your voice hopefully you're

04:06taking care of yourself too i know this is taking a big toll on you we'll be checking in with you

04:11mike scantlin live for us in fort myers

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