22 Sep Sanibel Neighbors Coming Together During Irma

A tented community thank you lunch for clean up and repair workers who helped restore power and access to Sanibel and Captiva Islands

While no one on the Island was excited about Hurricane Irma’s arrival, a few good things happened on the Island to increase the sense of community spirit – including neighbors meeting their neighbors for the first time!

As people were packing up and prepping for the storm they chatted with their neighbors about their relocation plans and shared information and tips – especially to those who recently relocated to the Island and were experiencing their first hurricane preparation. People exchanged phone numbers and kept in touch through group texts and became friends on social media sites in order to share bits of information regarding what was happening where they actually ended up and who still had hotel room availability– Florida east coast verses west coast or in other states such as Georgia, Alabama, South and North Carolina.

The City of Sanibel did an incredible job of updating their email subscribers with daily status reports – in the morning, mid-day and in the evening with an end of day report. You can visit their website http://www.mysanibel.com to sign up to be on their email list or to find out information regarding debris removal and water quality information. While the Recreation Center is now back to it’s regular operating hours it had opened it’s doors 24/7 to anyone who needed shelter, a shower or simply to cool down in air conditioning. They even welcomed pets to be with their owners.

Neighbors shared information about the reopening of the Island. When you evacuate and relocate to a different city or state you don’t easily get Sanibel or Captiva news so it was helpful to have neighborhood chain mail – in an email or text form. People who arrived home first took pictures of homes for those who couldn’t return as easily. They moved brush from elderly residents’ driveways and walkways. They were also happy to share the joyful news of power return, when it returned.

A natural disaster shouldn’t be the only reason to meet your neighbors, so perhaps when you see someone move in to the house next door or down the road walk on down to say hello and welcome to the neighborhood!