Dunbar neighbors relied on each other after Ian in FEMA’s absence

Fort Myers’ Dunbar community banded together for mutual aid and support after Hurricane Ian in the wake of what many felt was a slow response from federal agencies.

Fort Myers Fire Chief Tracy McMillion sees the iconic African American landmarks still standing in the city as symbols of endurance.

“They tell the story of resilience, they tell a story of perseverance, they tell a story of being able to overcome,” McMillion said. “When you look at McCollum Hall, the Williams Academy in the Dunbar community, you know, kind of in a metaphorical kind of way, it talks about overcoming; it talks about the ability to be able to stand the test of storms even when the storm has passed.”

It’s a type of strength that neighbor Crystal Johnson says the people of Dunbar have always had to have.

“Dunbar is one of our minority communities, which is where all of our elderly who are on fixed incomes… a mass majority of low to moderately low-income families reside there,” Johnson said.

Immediately after Hurricane Ian, neighbors helped neighbors while the community waited for outside help.

“That’s the difference between my community and possibly McGregor or any other area that’s known to have more wealth,” Johnson said.

The local churches came through with weekly food distributions.

“I must say, I gotta give a hand clap to the churches in the community, because they did step up,” Johnson said.

Johnson fears what would have become of Dunbar and its residents otherwise, because she says officials who were meant to help did not respond quickly enough.

“When I say they dropped the ball… they didn’t show up, they showed up late,” Johnson said.

Johnson points to an Oct. 3 tweet from FEMA, five days after Ian came ashore, responding to a story about the lack of help in minority communities. The tweet reads, “We are aware of the needs in Dunbar and sent teams to the area yesterday.” While Johnson says FEMA did show up, she found the agency less helpful than it could have been.

“When they did show up, it seemed like it was more for a photo op,” Johnson said. “It was because they got talked about, and they were brought out, that’s when you saw them, but you didn’t see them originally.”

It proved to Johnson that the people of Dunbar are strong enough to weather any storm.

“We’re so grateful to still have life; we’re still so grateful to have our leaky roof,” Johnson said. “You know, we’re so grateful to have all these things.”