Rescue Deferred in Lee County “for fear it could kill the rescuers.”

Lee County is going to remembered as Ground Zero for this hurricane, like Hiroshima, like the Johnstown Flood; like the Galveston Hurricane.This should not be remembered as Hurricane Ian but rather the Lee County Hurricane. The county has been "decimated" as those other unfortunate places were, as Homestead was by Hurricane Andrew. The articulate words of the Lee County Manager are blood-curdling.

“I am sad to tell you that while we don't know the full extent of the damage for Lee County right now, we are beginning to get a sense that our community has been, in some respects, decimated.”

Damage was so severe that it was decided by county and local officials to wait before making some evacuations, for fear it could kill the rescuers.

"It left families suffering the agony of knowing that loved ones cling to life in areas that can not yet be reached by rescue crews because it is it too dangerous to save them.”—Roger Desjarlais, Lee County Manager.

County Public Safety Director Ben Abes said the county made a reluctant decision based on the dangers and threatening conditions rescuers would face.

"We are aware of a number of calls from people stranded due to high water," Abes said. "However, we are faced with conditions that make it impossible to respond right now."

Rescues assistance from the federal government will be dispatched as soon as it is safe for them to travel to Lee County. Boats, high water vehicles and helicopters will be used in the rescue operation.

…

"We know that there is tremendous damage on Sanibel and in Fort Myers Beach, we know that LCEC, about 75% of their (electric) customers are without power, 80% of FP&L customers are are without power. we don't know yet the extent of the damage to our infrastructure whether its the electrical grid, or utility systems."

In Cape Coral, sewer lift stations have failed at more than 200 locations, and city officials have urged residents to reduce their use of water.

"This is going to be a very difficult, trying time for the next several months," Desjarlais said. "The response and recovery effort is going to be complex, it is going to be costly and it is going to require very concentrated efforts by federal state and local government agencies and the private sector."

"For all of us who have lived in Florida for a lot of years, we have been through many, many hurricanes locally." Desjarlais continued. "It seems as though every storm that we have endured we have heard about tidal surge and we have heard about flooding, but it hasn't been our time.

"You wonder whether it is going to be our turn. Well it appears to be our time to endure that."