Pine Island was cut off from the mainland during Ian when the bridge that passes through Matlacha was washed away. In the true spirit of Pine Island, residents immediately got to work helping each other, and coordinating resources and volunteers. But, it quickly became clear that the collective recovery effort was going to need to be formalized to support long-term recovery efforts. And so the Greater Pine Island Alliance was formed in December of 2022, and they have not stopped in their mission to return every survivor to their home.