As floodwaters swallowed Robert Podgorski and Jennifer Carbajal's residence, the 2 swam to the protection of a neighbor's second-story balcony with their canine above their heads. On the identical time, their small and well-loved Fort Myers enterprise, the Inexperienced Cup Cafe, was being decimated.
In lower than 24 hours, Hurricane Ian turned the couple's lives fully the wrong way up.
Podgorski and Carbajal have been dwelling with two roommates when Ian hit. The Class 4 storm induced a close-by river to overflow, and it did not take lengthy for floodwaters to begin seeping into the home, which sits on a 3-foot-tall concrete block.
"Earlier than it got here by means of the door, it began coming by means of the partitions and beneath our flooring as a result of we've got an outdated home. The home is actually similar to leaking water from the partitions like a horror film," he instructed CBS Information.
When the flooding knocked over the fridge, they determined it was time to go away. However at that time, the door would not open. They needed to push it out and swim to their neighbor's second-story balcony throughout the road for security. And whereas they – and their canine – had escaped the floodwaters, there was nonetheless important hazard.
The water was full of gasoline from all of the vehicles and boats it had broken, unleashing carbon monoxide throughout the neighbor's home.Carbon monoxide fumes, that are odorless and colorless, can rapidly grow to be lethal throughout storms. Podgorski grew to become lightheaded and one other particular person in the home needed to stand outdoors throughout the storm to have the ability to breathe.
"We needed to open all of the doorways and home windows with 100 mile-an-hour winds ripping by means of," he mentioned.
"That was most likely the scariest second in my life, pondering that we're not achieved but," he added. "...I can not even take into consideration what it was wish to be in Fort Myers Seashore or Sanibel."
All they may do was deal with getting contemporary air and take into consideration their enterprise, which they'd solely had for 2 years.
"You could possibly simply inform the power of nature"
Podgorski and his girlfriend Carbajal, as soon as regulars of Inexperienced Cup Cafe, used their financial savings to take over the restaurant within the metropolis's downtown in 2020. It was their dream to have "a cute little spot to convey individuals in to eat good issues," Podgorski mentioned. And it was – the cafe has lots of of rave critiques on Google. "Distinctive," "stunning," "pleasant," and "welcoming" have all been used to explain the small natural and vegan-friendly eatery, recognized for its brightly-colored smoothies, coffees, sandwiches and snacks.
However then, water that was as soon as lots of of yards away from the restaurant discovered its approach into its partitions. Based mostly on the injury, Podgorski believes there was roughly 5 toes of raging water inside – he is 6 toes tall, and says the water acquired to concerning the top of his chest.
When he and Carbajal first noticed the enterprise post-Ian, all he might say after they opened the door was "Jesus." It was a sense, he mentioned, of shock – he was nervous, scared and did not know the place to even start.
"You could possibly simply inform the power of nature, the facility of the waves, the undulation simply tossed issues round like rag dolls and paper, twigs," he mentioned. "...Something that may have been moist that might have survived, was now filled with mud, so then it could not survive."
Like many close by companies, Podgorski mentioned the Inexperienced Cup Cafe would not have flood insurance coverage.
"Prices for insurance coverage are by means of the roof. It is just about unaffordable," he mentioned. "...It is like 1000's of dollars a month and while you're a small enterprise popping out of COVID, it is already exhausting to be alive. I used to be making $12 an hour for 2 years. ... Everybody thinks we stay an opulent world and our cash is actual tight."
Now, as he and Carbajal keep within the visitor room of one in every of their restaurant patrons, all Podgorski can do is deal with rebuilding and protecting his staff paid, a feat that can value as much as $20,000 a month. That does not embrace the 1000's it can value to redo the cafe, which wants its partitions rebuilt, new electrical and plumbing and 1000's of dollars value of recent tools. The couple launched a GoFundMe to assist cowl the prices.
"Luck" amid the devastation
As a lifelong Floridian, Podgorski spent years amongst those that joke about and throw hurricane events when lower-category storms hit the state. Now, that is over.
Anybody who says that Hurricane Ian did not change their mindset round hurricane season, he mentioned, "is mendacity."
"I had energy till I had 8 toes of water. And we have been even joking, 'what a weak-a** hurricane,' after which the following factor you understand, I misplaced my total life," he mentioned. "...How have been we so unaware of this energy and the way are we so laissez-faire? ... I could not even philosophize about one thing like this as a result of it was simply so unfathomable."
The lack of their residence and enterprise is scarring, however Podgorski additionally is aware of people who find themselves among the many greater than 100 who died within the storm, together with a bartender he knew and a pal's mom.
Officers are persevering with to survey the state – even President Biden was in Fort Myers on Wednesday – however Podgorski says he hopes they proceed to concentrate to the thousands and thousands impacted by the storm after the immediacy ends.
"Consciousness and focus," he mentioned. "Be sure that after per week that this does not get forgotten. That is one thing that actually modified our geography...I am afraid everybody simply bails out. It is gonna be months if not years for sure communities to be rebuilt."
Even when it does take years, and despite the fact that he's basically having to rebuild his life from the bottom up, he says the group will likely be OK, as a result of everybody inside it has one another. Simply at his small enterprise, he mentioned 45 individuals have proven as much as assist him clear, turning some components of the cleanup course of that ought to have taken days into hours.
"In the event that they hold the identical stride that we're having this week, we will be again up very quickly," he mentioned of downtown Fort Myers.
And regardless of all the pieces, Podgorski says he appears like "the luckiest man."
"We acquired to save lots of our lives. Our neighbors survived," he mentioned. "We get the chance to rebuild."