When the staff at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers returned to work after Hurricane Ian, they wanted to share.

Regardless of how each faired through the catastrophic storm, every person had a desire to tell their story. And Alliance Executive Director Molly Deckart noticed the community had the same need for catharsis.

“Opening up the Alliance again to the community, everybody had a story," said Deckart. "Everybody wanted to talk about it, and I just felt this need to capture it. It's a moment in history and time that, I think, is really relevant and should be captured.”

Anyone who experienced Hurricane Ian — weather it be surviving the storm or volunteering in its aftermath — can add to an oral history project titled, “Storm Stories.”

A dedicated, unmanned voicemail, 239-744-3047, is set up to collect 3-minute audio submissions and an online form is live on the Alliance website.

Deckart explains the hope is that the project can serve as both a therapeutic outlet and historical documentation effort.

“Sharing is a way of healing," said Deckart. "Anytime you have this kind of collective experience, not just Fort Myers or Lee County, but like the entire state all the way up the East Coast had effects of this storm, I think it's really important that you document what that was for people at the time that they experienced it.”

The Alliance is planning an exhibition near the September 28th anniversary of Hurricane Ian’s landfall, which will feature “Storm Stories” submissions, and artwork inspired by the storm.

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