On the eve of Hurricane Ian, Shanna Matyas and her family removed every watch and piece of jewelry from her Downtown Jewelry & Watch Co. store in Fort Myers. She did so out of security concerns with the potential for looting amid widespread power outages.
She couldn’t have predicted what actually happened. About 5 to 6 feet of water flowed up to the front door and window just outside 2125 First St., Suite 101, seeping inside with about 6 feet of sludge and storm surge water.
Seven months later, Matyas and her husband, Adam Matyas, are thankful for a quick rebuild. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the store for six months, and Hurricane Ian closed it for eight weeks.
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