Hurricane Ian

Nearly two years after Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida, for many, the dream of living in paradise is becoming unaffordable. Making the situation worse, because of lax permitting and development following the hurricane, FEMA is hiking the cost of flood insurance in vulnerable coastal communities like Cape Coral.

There was a lot that happened in politics this year, from the consequential midterm elections to the Supreme Court's historic abortion ruling and record migration at the southern border.

With more than 35,000 homes damaged or destroyed in Lee County, Fla., residents are concerned about housing affordability – and changes to their communities – as developers become involved.

Florida is a magnet for retirees — not just for those who can afford exclusive gated communities, but also for those on fixed incomes. Now, many face a wrenching reality: rebuilding is not an option.

Fishers in southwest Florida are desperate to save their shrimping fleet, and their lifestyle, decimated by Hurricane Ian more than a month ago.

About an hour’s drive north of Ft. Meyers lies Englewood, Florida where entire mobile homes were wiped away.

Mobile homes built before 1994 can't withstand the kind of ferocious winds of a major hurricane. In Florida, there are thousands of these older homes that crumble during big storms like Ian.

Most deaths were in Lee County, where local officials delayed hurricane evacuations until the day before the storm hit. Leaders in other nearby counties ordered evacuations a day earlier.

Across Southwest Florida, the long road to recovery is coming into focus as people try to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Ian. Many will rebuild, others will leave and some don't know what's next.

Rampant litigation, costlier storms and rising reinsurance costs have all combined to make chaos in Florida's home insurance market. Now, some worry Ian could send even more insurers out of the state.