Two days after Hurricane Milton impacted Southwest Florida, the damage done to Captiva Island in Lee County came into better clarity.

On Andy Rosse Lane on Captiva Island, surge waters flooded homes and businesses, said Sandy Stilwell Youngquist, who owns Stilwell Enterprises, including several Captiva restaurants — Keylime Bistro, R.C. Otter’s Island Eats, Cantina Captiva, Sunshine Seafood Cafe and Wine Bar and Latte Da. She took a boat to Captiva on Oct. 10 to get her first look at the damage, and she said it was a rough ride.

“Everything flooded again,” Stilwell Youngquist said. “But about anywhere from 6 inches to 2 feet higher than from Hurricane Helene. Even the fire department’s new building had water in it.

“So, it starts all over again. Trees down, windows broken, equipment has floated all over the place. Stinky storm sludge covering everything.”

Stilwill Youngquist said she can’t get to her Boca Grande business yet by car, and she could take solace only in that her mainland business office near Iona did not flood, and her home weathered the storm well.

“It’s Groundhog Day,” she said, as Hurricane Ian flooded her Captiva Island Inn cottages, forcing her to have them razed.

Despite the bad news, Stilwell Youngquist said she remained undaunted.

“We will put it all together again,” she said. “We are out there cleaning up.”