Hurricane Ian lashed out in a fury on Sanibel Island last week was to let her kids know she survived one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike Florida.
Now, it will be a tale to tell generations about the harrowing ordeal she lived through.The mother of four from coastal New Jersey had experienced tropical storms but never a hurricane like this.For 20 years, Regan taught a middle school gym class in Lake Forest, Illinois.
After retirement in June, she moved into her late grandmother's home on Sanibel Island. Before retirement, she purchased a condo to rent out at Seawinds, a canal-front development located at the island's east end.
It was an investment that would later become a haven to ride out the storm.HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TVWhen Regan first heard about Ian, which she thought was headed for Tampa, she opted to stay on the island with a population of more than 6,300 people.Naples firefighters waded through deep floodwater to rescue a woman trapped in her car on Wednesday, September 28, as Hurricane Ian pounded Florida’s west coast.She locked up her home and did everything she could to secure her belongings.