PINE ISLAND, Fla. — Despite some repairs and continued clean up in southwest Florida, devastation remains across the region.

Gov. Ron DeSantis praised crews on Thursday for quickly making temporary repairs to the bridge to Pine Island, which was damaged during Hurricane Ian.

Connectivity between the mainland and the barrier islands is such a big issue in southwest Florida.

There’s just one bridge that connects Cape Coral and Pine Island and while there’s a temporary fix it isn’t perfect.

And the hundreds of people stranded in Cape Coral are doing their best to stay patient, they are waiting on repairs so they can get across.

“The more vehicles that go over it the more it deteriorates,” said Pine Island resident Bill Valente. “Then when you start bringing heavy construction vehicles over it, it really starts to go.”

Until the last day and a half, the only way to access Pine Island has been by boat.

Doug and Rachel Root who own d and d’s bait and tackle have been a lifeline between residents stranded on Pine Island, and the mainland.

Bringing supplies and gas every chance they get. Now, they’re bringing residents out there too.

Meanwhile, on Sanibel Island

Rotting fish and garbage lie scattered in Sanibel Island’s streets. On the mainland, debris from washed-away homes is heaped in a canal like matchsticks. Huge shrimp boats sit perched amid the remains of a mobile home park.

“Think of a snow globe. Pick it up and shake it — that’s what happened,” said Fred Szott.

For the past three days, he and his wife Joyce have been making trips to their damaged mobile home in Fort Myers, cleaning up after Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast.

As for the emotional turbulence, he says: “You either hold on, or you lose it.”

The broken causeway to Sanibel Island might not be passable until the end of the month. Officials on the island had ordered a complete curfew after the storm passed, allowing search and rescue teams to do their work. That meant residents who evacuated were technically blocked from returning.

The city of about 7,000 started allowing residents back from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. City manager Dana Souza told residents in a Facebook Live stream that he wished the municipality had resources to provide transportation but that, for now, residents would have to arrange visits by private boat.

Devastation in Southwest Florida

Florida medical examiners have confirmed 92 deaths. But other reports put the death toll as high as 126.

Florida Power and Light said less than 100,000 customers in Fort Myers are without power.

The Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said there is no date set yet for when Fort Myers Beach residents can return. Search and rescue operations are still being conducted. And they need the space to do their jobs effectively.

Meanwhile, some residents are frustrated with long lines and what they see as an uneven response.

FEMA’s one-stop shop set ups on site let residents meet with reps from the federal government, state agencies and insurance companies.

But long lines under the hot sun and some delayed responses are fraying nerves.

"My patience is gone. People in my community, they lost everything,” said Fort Myers resident Mary Broomfield. "I don't have to live on  Sanibel or Fort Myers Beach to be 'one of the people they care about' because to me it seems like that's all they care about at this point."