Fort Myers Beach residents want running water back on island

Emotions are running high in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

People living on Fort Myers Beach demand more help from the town, especially when it comes to running water and garbage pickup.

During a meeting on Tuesday, residents made themselves heard about the lack of water, to a need for temporary housing and RVs.

But, the council did make some big decisions though by voting to allow residents to put RVs or trailers and storage pods on their property for up to 18 months while rebuilding. And they passed a motion for pre-existing Fort Myers Beach businesses, like food and trucks, to operate on the island.

Mayor Ray Murphy said he understands all the frustration, all he is asking for is a little time and patience.

“People are displaced and out of their homes and we get it. We get it because we’re going through the same things ourselves personally. So we understand. But it just takes time,” Murphy said.

But, people are getting tired of waiting for power and water to come back and tired of being told when they can get on and off the island. They also tire of people flocking to the island to take photos of the damage.

Fort Myers Beach residents also are worried about the 50% rule. They don’t want to waste time and money repairing their homes if they don’t know whether they’re going to end up rebuilding.

Council also decided to extend the state of emergency. They must do so every seven days in order to get assistance from federal and state governments.

Fort Myers Beach is devoid of beachgoers and music.

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