In the wake of Hurricane Ian’s landfall in the Fort Myers area in late September 2022, all Fort Myers – Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoods’ communication efforts immediately shifted to focus on relief and recovery. Residents and loyalists of the area were in dire need of information on the status of the destination. To disseminate timely, accurate information, we used a three-pronged approach to communication, which included:

• A weekly newsletter targeted to industry partners
• The “Road to Recovery” video series for loyalists and residents
• New episodes of the “Shellcast” podcast with crisis information for residents

Our efforts not only exceeded industry benchmarks for digital communication with a minimal budget but also earned local and national media attention.

Turning the newsletter - already an established monthly resource for industry partners - into a weekly newsletter for 8 weeks gave us the opportunity to be more nimble in providing vital updates for our industry partners.

• Hurricane Ian Resources for Recovery Newsletter #1, Oct. 13
• Hurricane Ian Resources for Recovery Newsletter #2, Oct. 20
• Hurricane Ian Resources for Recovery Newsletter #3, Oct. 27
• Hurricane Ian Resources for Recovery Newsletter #4, Nov. 3
• Hurricane Ian Resources for Recovery Newsletter #5, Nov. 17
• Hurricane Ian Resources for Recovery Newsletter #6, Dec. 1
• Hurricane Ian Resources for Recovery Newsletter #7, Dec. 15
• Hurricane Ian Resources for Recovery Newsletter #8, Dec. 22

We produced, shot, edited and distributed weekly videos focusing on how our tourism partners worked to reopen businesses, clean up impacted areas and assist neighbors and visitors alike to rebound as quickly as possible. This gave the tourism community a voice along with inspiration on how the destination was recovering.

The podcast was another established way to provide updates to a more global audience. We produced 3 recovery-specific episodes: two focused on breaking news - the reopening of the Sanibel Causeway and a community event - and one on the recovery at Fort Myers Beach.