Minnesota natives living in Florida try to keep their spirits up after Hurricane Ian
MINNEAPOLIS -- Search and rescue efforts continued Sunday in hurricane-ravaged Florida. One of the hardest hit regions was Sanibel Island, where St. Paul Park natives Deborah and Daniel Tilson moved about a year ago.
They sheltered in Billy's Bike Rentals warehouse in Fort Myers and are living there for the time being since they can't return to their home on the island.
"It was really scary with 156 mph winds. We were watching the roof breathe in and out as we evacuated to the second floor because of the flood surge," Deborah Tilson said.
With Sanibel Island cut off due to a main bridge washing away, the couple is relying on satellite images to see their home. They said it could be 2-3 months before they are able to return to see what's left.
"There's not a whole lot of words to describe the feeling when you are going through it," Brainerd native Olivia Klinger said.
Klinger and her fiancé Blaze rode out the storm in their second-floor apartment in Fort Myers. Their neighbors below weren't as fortunate to have the elevation and were experiencing flooding as nearby ponds overflowed.
"The noise, it's like a freight train, it's so loud the doors are shaking back and forth," Klinger described.
Her brother, Sam, is a firefighter from the Brainerd area and drove down to Florida with their uncle to help with rescues and supplies.
"Just knowing that literally five miles away it's just devastation and it's hard knowing we didn't get it as bad as everyone else," she said.
Both couples are trying to keep their spirits up as they figure out what's next.
"It could have been worse. We are here by god's good grace and by the graciousness of Billy," Tilson said.
