About Atlanta Intown. (Sandy Springs, GA) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2022)
SUSTAINABILITY Recycling • Resources • Lifestyle Devastating hurricane strikes beloved island Above the Water Line 1 Sally Bethea Sally Bethea is the retired executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeperand an environmental and sustainability advocate. O n an overcast morning in mid- October, my journalist son Charles Bethea boarded a small boat to reach the shores of Sanibel Island—three miles across the choppy waters of San Carlos Bay on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The cause way to the island was in pieces, damaged by 150-mile-per-hour winds and extreme storm surges that washed away portions of two man-made islands connecting spans of the bridge. In my heart and mind, I was with him, waiting anxiously to learn the extent of the damage from FFurricane Ian: the nightmare storm called historic for its intensity. The maelstrom bashed the southwest coast of Florida on Sept. 28—the day my mother would have turned 102. My sister and I were relieved that neither she nor our father lived to see the catastrophic destruction of the place they—and we—so love. Sanibel Memories In the late 1950s, when my family first vacationed on Sanibel, it was largely undeveloped. We loved the island’s natural beauty despite the relentless no-see-ums and rustic accommodations. We collected shells on its beaches, visited the national wildlife refuge that comprises a third of the island, boated with friends, fished for snook, and painted watercolors of coconut palms waving in the ocean breezes. In the backwaters of mangrove swamps, we waded barefoot—at times in waist-deep water—cautiously exploring the muddy bottom with our toes, seeking king’s crown conches. We watched the ever-changing shoreline, altered through the seasons and years by wind, waves, and currents. My parents loved Sanibel’s wild nature—its red mangrove forests, flocks of roseate spoonbills, and rare junonia shells—and did what they could to help preserve it. Until 1963, when the original Sanibel Causeway was completed, we took a ferry, then in operation for more than fifty years, to reach the island. We would race in our hot, unairconditioned car to make the last departure of the day after the long drive from Atlanta, my father ever certain we wouldn’t make it in time. We always did. Fifteen years ago, a new causeway replaced and upgraded the original, but it was no match for Ian’s destructive force. A Disaster Waiting to Happen My father worried every year that a deadly hurricane might hit Sanibel and harm the island and the house he and my mother built there in the early 1970s. FFe was well aware they had chosen a site on the beautiful but shifting sands of a barrier island, vulnerable to storms and the sea. FFe also knew that nearby Fort Myers on the mainland had once been a maze of swamps and mangroves, prone to frequent flooding. It was all a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, as the years passed, people continued to move into the region: one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. New houses were built and mobile homes were placed mere feet from the water, often on “land” created by developers who used dredge-and-fill methods. River bottoms, marshes, and lowlands were scoured for fill material to elevate building sites surrounded by artificial canals to manage drainage and create “waterfront” property. Sanibel employed a different approach for its inevitable growth, one that in all likelihood saved lives and property from the wrath of Ian. Beginning in the 1970s, local officials and residents (about 7,000 people live on the island year-round) decided to work with nature to protect the island’s environment and curtail overdevelopment. Ordinances limited development and officials rejected engineered structures, such as sea walls; instead, living shorelines were installed with natural materials, and environmentally sensitive areas were preserved. Today, two-thirds of the island is designated as conservation land. Prior to its incorporation in 1974, when Sanibel secured autonomy to make land use decisions, county officials projected that scenthound. ROUTINE DOG CARE & GROOMING Beach goer? Pool lover? Dirt digger? Grass roller? Try us $OQ Effective for just November 1 TRIAL OFFER INCLUDES ✓ Bath ✓ Ear Cleaning ✓ Nail Clip & Grind ✓ Teeth Brushing Blow-dry not included Valid on first visit only. Must present ad. One per dog. FIRST-SCENT-25 THREE LOCATIONS DUNW00DY VILLAGE 678-990-1900 CHASTAIN SQUARE 470-607-5100 TUCKER 770-538-1790 FIND MORE LOCATIONS AT scenthound.com 30 NOVEMBER 2022 | [d AtlantalntownPaper.com
