Horseshoe Beach ‘unrecognizable’ after Hurricane Idalia

Out of 40 – 50 homes in a small community on Horseshoe Beach, all but one evacuated.

Entire homes were swept away by Hurricane Idalia. The surge hit 10 feet, the wind 130 miles per hour. When the water settled and the wind died down, what was left was an “unrecognizable” Horseshoe Beach.

After Hurricane Ian, without hesitation, Hope piled up a trailer full of supplies and rushed to Fort Myers Beach to help people.

“Everyone here is family. Even though you might not be blood, you’re family,” Hope said.

Robert Daniel Ellison, or “Dan,” is better known as the captain on Horseshoe Beach.

“My dad and I had a shrimp business here. I’d catch ’em, and he’d sell ’em,” Dan said.

Ed’s Baithouse faced a plunder when Hurricane Idalia flooded the beach Wednesday. The storm took just about everything: Ed’s Baithouse, every piece of equipment, every shed and every moneymakin’ piece of fish.

“When I saw the shrimp house, I broke down a little bit. But the house is standing. My momma always told me you can’t have it all. You’ll be saving your money for a rainy day,” Dan said.

Dan’s cousin, Aaron, is there to help him get back on his feet.

“They’ve lost their livelihood. That’s their bait house. That’s how they made their living. They got a long road to get back where they can make money again,” said Aaron.