Driving rain, raging wind, flooded homes and mangled metal.
Those were some of the devastating consequences when Irma hit Southwest Florida on Sept. 10, 2017.
Now, five years later, the rubble has transformed.
The one good thing the storm brought was the way people came together to help each other out.
WINK News takes you through the days after the storm and the strength of the community after Irma swept through neighborhoods, first making landfall on Marco Island.
Watch the special in the media player above.
Stories you need to know

Survivors, victims’ families mark 5 years since Parkland high school massacre
Valentine’s Day 2023 marks five years since the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland killed 17 people and injured 17 others. Just one night before, a gunman killed three people and himself at Michigan State University. Tweets are coming from some of the Parkland survivors who are now reliving their brutal memories of the […]

2023 Naples Winter Wine Festival: In Perfect Harmony, a WINK News special
The 2023 Naples Winter Wine Festival begins on Friday, Feb. 3. During last year’s festival, nearly $22 million was raised in just four and a half hours to help the children of Collier County. WINK News and Gulfshore Life are co-sponsors of the festival. You can join WINK anchor Lindsey Sablan as she spotlights the […]

Southwest Florida artist chosen for Gulfshore Life’s Men of the Year
Many can relate to losing something priceless during Hurricane Ian. Maybe a family heirloom or pictures. But think about artists and their life’s work swept up in water in minutes. Hurricane Ian devastated Chad Jensen’s gallery Method and Concept. Jensen is one of the few people who can describe the remnants of Hurricane Ian and […]

WINK News helps a woman apply for temporary housing using Unite Florida
There are many people who need temporary housing after Hurricane Ian and on Monday Florida rolled out Unite Florida which is the first state-wide temporary housing program. Plenty of Floridians are not even aware the program exists to help them recover from the storm. Cheryl Garniss lost her home during the hurricane. Since then, her […]
Don't Miss

Report: Southwest Florida renter salaries should be $93,000 not to be ‘rent burdened’
For renters, finding a place to live in Southwest Florida that fits in their budget can feel like looking for gold at the end of a rainbow. “Rent’s terrible,” one resident told WINK News. A report from Florida Atlantic University, University of Alabama and Florida Gulf Coast University shows rent in the Fort Myers-Cape Coral […]

House fire in Naples leaves Vietnam vet homeless
71-year-old Donald Cline, a Vietnam war veteran lost his Naples home to a fire Sunday night.

Biden marks Memorial Day nearly 2 years after ending America’s longest war, lauds troops’ sacrifice
President Joe Biden lauded the sacrifice of generations of U.S. troops who died fighting for their country as he marked Memorial Day with the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.

Project on US 41 brings safer street crossing for pedestrians in Fort Myers
The Cleveland Avenue Pedestrian Safety Project is making changes to US-41 to make it safer for pedestrians to cross the street.