MATLATCHA, Fla. — On the one-year mark after Hurricane Ian, Pine Island's path to recovery was paved by the small businesses that owners like Angela Demattia say have turned chaos into creation.
“They were submerged under salt water when the electricity hit, it naturally oxidized them so you will see rainbow colors,” said Demattia.
Demattia and her husband Onofrio own Onofrio D Oro Fine Jewelry Boutique on Matlatcha.
Demattia said the rainbow colors on her Hurricane Ian collection are art, literally created by Ian.
After her store took on more than four feet of water, her thoughts of the future where uncertain.
“It's sadness... of the devastation,” said Demattia.
One year later Angela Demattia and her boutique are rebuilt, and she says they aren't going anywhere.
“We are survivors, and my husband always said, Matlatcha for life,” said Demattia.
On Thursday, at the Re/Max Sunshine Building on Pine Island Road, the community held a Hurricane Ian Remembrance Event that served as a solemn occasion to reflect on the challenges faced and the resilience displayed by the Matlatcha community in the face of adversity.
