Hurricane Ian Oral History Podcast
On Sept. 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian changed Southwest Florida forever. This limited podcast series features oral histories from people impacted by the storm. Each episode centers on personal accounts from survivors, offering first hand reflections on their experiences, losses and resilience in the aftermath.
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Brian Boddie was inside his home with his dogs, Minnie and Bennie, when Hurricane Ian struck, leaving him injured and trapped for days. -
As a first responder, Chris Moore helped others before salvaging his own flooded home. -
After Hurricane Ian destroyed his manufactured home, Dan Kunz was left living in his truck and preparing to leave Southwest Florida. -
Diane Brumbaugh took shelter from Hurricane Ian in the clubhouse at Creekside RV Resort in Charlotte County. Though she lost her home, Dianeremainsdetermined to stay in Florida and move forward. -
Brothers Kenneth and Eugine Gavin grew up on Sanibel Island. While Kenneth now lives in Cape Coral, Eugine lost his Sanibel home to Hurricane Ian and rebuilt it himself, a testament to family ties andperseverance.
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The Johnson family has called Sanibel Island home since the late 1800s.Owners of Bailey’s GeneralStore, theywatched the business be destroyed by Hurricane Ian but remain determined torebuild forthe community they have long served. -
Kaye DeHayes and her husband stayed in their elevated bungalow on Fort Myers Beach as Hurricane Ian approached. Long time residents, they believed they were prepared, but the storm proved that every hurricane brings new dangers. -
Naples resident Kerry Fagan was recovering from knee surgery at home when Hurricane Ian struck, flooding her house and setting her on a difficult path marked by resilience and loss. -
As Hurricane Ian tore through her home, Saylor Davis huddled in a closet with her mother and pets. -
Vincent Keeys, president of the Collier County NAACP, details the challenges and determination required to help Naples’ River Park neighborhood rebuild after Hurricane Ian.
Support for this project provided by:
This project was produced by Susan Gard, with production support from Tanner Jenni. Original interviews were conducted by Janine Zeitlin, Susan Gard, and Sandra Viktorova. Photos by Tom James. Narration by Sara Jordan. Support for Hurricane Stories is made possible by a grant from Florida Humanities and the Community Foundation of Sarasota.
To learn more about the impact of Hurricane Ian, watch the documentary Rising: Surviving the Surge at wgcu.org.
