After Hurricane Milton, Sanibel church battles back once again

One week after St. Michael and All Angels Church in Sanibel was flooded again, this time by Hurricane Milton, they are hopeful they’ll reopen to parishioners over the weekend.

Right before Hurricane Ian’s two-year mark, we described St. Michael as the miracle on Periwinkle. Despite Ian’s 130-mile-per-hour winds, the structure and its members stood strong.

Two years and 11 days later, it was tested again.

“You know, this was honestly a gut punch to have Milton hit us again,” said Sue Van Oss, Director of Communications for St. Michael and All Angels.

Van Oss, documented the flood waters right at their steps and the water line inside the sanctuary.

“Luckily, we had a hurricane prep team, and two days before, they moved everything they could off the floor up three feet. So the vast majority of contents were saved,” added Van Oss.

If there’s one silver lining—after Ian, Helene, and now Milton—it’s that they know what to do.

“Friday morning, the truck started rolling generators, drying equipment,” she explained.

The restoration company brought in massive tubes to dry out the affected areas. The air is 95 degrees, basically acting as a giant dehumidifier.

“It’s really difficult, but I see examples of people coming together and neighbors helping neighbors and just pulling together to help people out,” added Rev. Bill Van Oss.

You wouldn’t know it as Sue’s husband, Rev. Van Oss talked to us — but he was hospitalized with pneumonia five days before the storm.

“To be totally honest, there are moments, and you want to say, why God? And we get mad at God, and we stamp up our feet, and then the next moment is God right there with us, saying, God’s right in the midst of the storm,” explained Sue.

In addition to their faith and members, St. Michael keeps coming back, thanks in part to their insurance company. There’s an insurance company specifically for Episcopal churches.