‘Like the Gulf of Mexico came in’: Hurricane Ian flooded this historically Black Naples neighborhood

NAPLES, Fla. — Piles of damaged furniture, damp mattresses and broken electronics sat Saturday in front of most houses on the east side of Naples’ only historically Black neighborhood.

Hurricane Ian’s storm surge pushed muddy water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Gordon River and the canals that surround almost the entire east side of River Park. When residents saw the water creeping in on Wednesday, they say, it was already too late.

“The water came in from both sides,” Willie Sirmons, 74, told the Miami Herald, “so we were trapped.”