‘A little hidden oasis’: Captiva’s recovery after Hurricane Ian

Reporter: Corey Lazar Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
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Captiva, one year after Hurricane Ian’s destruction (CREDIT: WINK News)

Captiva is known for its beauty, wildlife and resort-style living.

“To me, there’s no other place on earth like this,” said Nicole Rossi. “It’s a tight community. We all know each other. Like a little hidden oasis.”

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The beautiful, pristine beaches of Captiva (CREDIT: WINK News)

But Hurricane Ian hit the island hard.

Boat captain James Markovits put his boat to use every day for weeks, bringing gasoline, food and tools.

“It was so demoralizing to see our community like that, but at the same time, to see how everybody came together, with the community strength and ‘Let’s get it fixed,'” said Markovits.

Homeowners and business owners of the island bonded as they worked together to bring their paradise back.

“When you come to an island, you want to have a first impression. You want to have that Caribbean cocktail kind of feel and hear the music. We’re still not back to that yet,” said Matt Wykes, who bought the Island Club in North Captiva.

The Island Club’s pools were swamped and docks were damaged from Hurricane Ian. Now, through hard work, its doors are open once more.

“We’re still working on getting that first impression, welcome center back for the new guests that are coming to stay here,” said Wykes.

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