Hurricane Ian left Sanibel Island in ruins, but the community's resilience is now paying off as businesses and restaurants are bustling with activity once again. The city and its residents have worked tirelessly over the years to revive the local economy, and their efforts are showing results.

Michelle Gallagher, a server at Doc Ford's, has been through tough times.

"I have a 16-year-old, and I also adopted my nephew. So, I'm a single parent to a four-year-old, so I've had him since he was born. It's a lot," said Gallagher.

After Hurricane Ian, Gallagher had to hop from one restaurant to another before returning to Doc Ford's, where customers and tips were initially scarce.

"It was definitely a battle," said Gallagher.

Now, the scene at Doc Ford's is different, with booths full even on a Tuesday afternoon.

"This actually has been my first year to be the best year for income-wise ever. If that's telling you something. I keep track of finances. You know... what I make every year. This year alone, three years later, after the hurricane, has been my best year," said Gallagher.

City Manager Dana Souza attributes this resurgence to the collective efforts of neighbors and the city.

"We know that Sanibel was ground zero for the storm, along with Fort Myers Beach and repairing our systems our infrastructure is really important for the island's resiliency, but also for our business community to make sure that the people can access the island and get to and from where they want to go, very easily."

The city is moving forward with projects like repaving roads along Periwinkle Way, fixing the biking and walking path under the causeway, and the nearby boat dock.

Residents like Isabella Valenzuela and her stepdad, Jerred Kelso, eagerly await these improvements.

John Lai, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said it's challenging to track the changes in data, especially in the hotel sector.

"If you looked at it pre-Ian, you were dealing with about 2,000 rooms combined. Between Sanibel Captiva, post Ian, you were looking at like 100 rooms, right?" said Lai.

Despite the challenges, the transformation is evident when speaking with locals like Gallagher.

"I had a table that came in today. Just moved to the island. They were lucky to buy a home, and they moved to the island, and I'm sure they will be back again after having their lunch here," said Gallagher.

Souza and Lai said they plan to keep doing the work.

" It is a 100% tourism-driven economy, and so we can't deny that. You know, we've seen it over the last three years that we've relied very heavily on our day trippers and our visitors from Fort Myers and Cape Coral and even Naples and Charlotte County and they've been phenomenal. But as we start looking at inviting guests from across the country again or even out of the country, we need to make sure that our best foot is forward, and the city and the community has done that exactly," said Lai.