BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — Cleanup continues in southwest Florida following Hurricane Ian, which made landfall there earlier this week as a Category 4 storm.
Jim Lamb has lived in Port Charlotte since 1999 after spending a majority of the first 30 years of his life living in Payson.
Jim told FOX 13 News on Sunday that he has ridden out six hurricanes since living in the Sunshine State. That includes Hurricane Charley in 2004, which destroyed his home.
He described riding out Hurricane Ian as it made its way through the area he has called home for more than 20 years.
"It's kind of nerve-racking because as you're hearing stuff creak and moan and shutter, there's nothing you can really do," Jim said.
He said the latest storm packed a punch he hadn't seen before.
"We've never gotten the floods like this," he said. "Where I work in Bonita, they're saying they had 16 feet of storm surge."
Jim is a firefighter with the Bonita Springs Fire Department, about 14 miles southeast of Fort Myers Beach.
"The destruction on the beach is just heartwrenching," he said. "I mean... It's gone. A lot of the areas, there's just nothing there."
He shared several pictures and videos of the damage left behind from the storm, showing boats in the street and high flood waters.
Jim said he has been working around the clock since Thursday to help where he can.
"We've got crews going around trying to do rescues, as well as crews trying to even help the city and local city government open up lanes of travel," he said.
Jim's brother Wade lives in North Port, which is just about 45 minutes up the road. Wade spent 20 years living in Payson before moving to Florida in 1986.
He has also been dealing with flooding from Hurricane Ian — he even had to use a boat to make his way through his neighborhood.
"Most homes had two and three feet of water inside of them, so I got a couple of my neighbors who hadn't evacuated [and was] able to get them out," Wade said.
Wade said there are also plenty of downed trees and power lines in the area as well.
"Just the size of the storm and the magnitude of it... I don't think somebody can fully comprehend it," Wade said.
Both of the Lambs' homes are intact, despite the strength of the hurricane.
Jim said they are just thankful for the little things they have right now.
"We're grateful that we're alive, most people we know and that are around us are OK," he said.
Jim said he finally got running water again Sunday morning, but it might be two weeks until power is restored to his home.
He also said there's a big support system down in that area — that everybody looks out for each other, and that they will eventually rebuild following the devastation from Hurricane Ian.
