Tag Archives: Donna Vanleeuwen

Everglades City: A fishing community versed in struggle bands together after Hurricane Ian

On Friday, after the water had fully receded from roads but with the power still out, it was mostly friends and family helping each clean mud and haul belongings to the curb in the stifling heat. Many neighbors and family have known each other for generations. Betty Valdes, 41, who grew up in Everglades City and whose family runs a fishing boat, said at the height of the surge, people could boat down most every street in town. “It was solid water,” she said. Most of Everglades City’s crab boats survived, secured by those who depend on them for their livelihoods. 41photos, >click to read< 08:32