One year later, Sept. 28 marks the anniversary of Hurricane Ian—a year already, only a year—though it might feel like much more or much less time than that, depending on your mindset. The ordeal and aftermath have been top of mind for most of us throughout the last 12 months, especially now that we’re in hurricane season again, and Ian’s effects will continue to be felt across the region and beyond for many years to come.
Artis Henderson set out to examine the storm’s ripple effects on the local agricultural industry, and the results are staggering. In “Uprooted,” on page 38, Henderson reports hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to livestock, to sugarcane fields, to citrus groves. More than $1 billion in agricultural losses overall, according to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, including a number of smaller local businesses and individual farmers completely wiped out.
It’s easy to get lost in the scale of the devastation, and occasional silver linings don’t offset the bleak numbers; the resources and lives and dreams lost. But what can we do other than rebuild? Resilience is a fact of life in Florida, an integral part of our lives and our communities.
I hope you’ll keep an eye out for next month’s issue; our October cover feature will be an examination of construction and development in Southwest Florida, focusing on how the area is building and rebuilding after Ian. Sometimes that means replacing what was lost with as much fidelity to the past as possible—just look at the iconic clock in Fort Myers Beach’s Times Square, proud and pristine again thanks to efforts led by local builder Joe Orlandini—but in many cases now is the time to upgrade to smarter designs, using architecture engineered to work with the forces of nature rather than attempting to stand against them. New ideas plus improved methods hopefully equal a stronger, thriving region in the coming years … which is exactly the kind of math I can get behind.
And if you need more reasons to be optimistic about the future, this is a perfect time: We’re extremely proud to present in this issue, beginning on page 64, the 2023 class of Gulfshore Business’ 40 Under 40. Each year I am impressed anew by the stories of these younger locals who excel within their chosen fields—be that law or marketing, health care or education—while also finding the energy and dedication to work toward improving the overall quality of life in Southwest Florida. Passion, drive, commitment to the cities and towns they call home … these neighbors are inspirations, and they, like our community as a whole, make me think we all have much to look forward to. Come what may.
