WAY TO REBUILD IN FLORIDA AFTER HURRICANE IAN DECIMATED ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS. THOUSANDS ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER. BUT ONE COMMUNITY HIT DIRECTLY BY THE STORM CAME OUT WITH BARELY A SCRATCH.
CNN'S BILL WEIR HAS THE STORY. >> Reporter: WHEN HURRICANE IAN BROUGHT GUSTS OVER 150 MILES AN HOUR, MUCH OF THE POWER GRID IN ITS PATH DID NOT STAND A CHANCE. >> LOOK AT THAT.
>> Reporter: AND AND THAT'S TO TWO FEET OF RAIN, EVEN COMMUNITIES MILES FROM THE SURGE COULD NOT AVOID FLOODS. AND WHILE THIS HAPPENED, ANTHONY WAS SITTING AT HOME WATCHING TV. >> I SAID TO MY WIFE, I DON'T HAVE ANY FEAR RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: ANTHONY AND THE FAMILIES AROUND HIM DID NOT LOSE POWER AND DID NOT FLOOD BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN BABCOCK RANCH, A COMMUNITY ABOUT 15 MILES FROM FORT MYERS, WHICH IS 100% SOLAR POWERED. >> I EVEN HELD ON TO MY GENERATOR BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. MY WIFE WAS LIKE "GET RID OF IT" AND I SAID, NO.
THIS WAS THE TEST. >> Reporter: NOW YOU CAN GET RID OF THE GENERATOR? >> I GAVE IT TO A FRIEND.
>> Reporter: WITH A Ph. D IN CIVIL ENGINEERING, SHE HELPED DESIGN THIS PLACE. >> I GOT MY CONSTRUCTION DRAWING OUT AND I LOOKED AT THE FLORIDA ELEVATION AND THE ROAD ELEVATION AND I MENTALLY WAS CRUNCHING NUMBERS BECAUSE I WAS LIKE THIS IS GOING TO BE BAD.
>> Reporter: AND IT WAS. BUT THEIR INTERCONNECTED LAKES AND PROTECTED WETLANDS SAVED THEM FROM FLOODING AND THE 700,000 SOLAR PANELS IN THEIR 150 MEGA WATT ARRAY ALL HELD SOLID. >> I ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT SOLAR PANELS AND HURRICANES DON'T MIX, THAT IT WOULD TURN THEM INTO PROJECTILES, BUT YOU DIDN'T LOSE ANY?
>> THAT'S THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT ENGINEERING, RIGHT, IS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE WIND LOADS AND YOU UNDERSTAND THE STRESS AND THE STRAIN AND YOU DESIGN TO THAT. >> Reporter: THIS PLACE IS THE BRAIN CHILD OF AN NFL OFFENSIVE LINEMAN TURNED DEVELOPER, WHO BOUGHT A MASSIVE CATTLE RANCH, SOLD MOST TO FLORIDA AS A NATURE PRESERVE AND SET OUT TO BUILD THE CLEANEST, MOST RESILIENT TOWN IN AMERICA. >> HERE'S THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE HAVE A FIELD HOUSE OVER THERE WHICH IS NOW HOUSING PEOPLE AS A SHELTER. >> Reporter: I GUESS IT'S FITTING THAT THE MASCOT OF BABCOCK HIGH ARE THE TRAIL BLAZERS. >> EVERYTHING'S VERY WELL THOUGHT OUT HERE.
>> I GOT TO SAY I FEEL A LITTLE GUILTY LEAVING DAMAGE BUT IT'S A RELIEF TO COME TO A PLACE UNSCATHED. >> WE'RE FEELING GUILD, TOO. >> Reporter: REALLY?
>> YEAH. >> I FEEL RELIEVED THAT WE'RE NOT ADDING TO WHAT FIRST RESPONDERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY. SO WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE MAKING MEALS OR TAKING IN LAUNDRY FROM SHERIFFS AND FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE IN FROM OUT OF TOWN BECAUSE WE WERE RESILIENT, BECAUSE WE WERE DURABLE, WE'RE ABLE TO HELP IN THAT WAY.
>> HERE'S THE TEST OF BATTERIES. NEVER HAD TO USE THEM. >> Reporter: FOR THOSE WHO SAY IF YOU WANT TO LIVE IN A SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN A YURT AND EAT STRAW, THIS IS A COUNTER TO THAT.
YOU'RE NOT LACKING FOR COMFORT. >> NO, IN THE 21st CENTURY, YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT. IT'S HERE, THE TECHNOLOGY IS HERE.
WE JUST NEED TO GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD AND MAKE IT AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYBODY TO GET ON BOARD. >> AND BILL WEIR JOINS US NOW LIVE FROM NAPLES, WHICH LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT, BILL, THAN THAT COMMUNITY WHERE YOU WERE JUST IN. AND IT'S, WHAT, A DOZEN MILES AWAY FROM FORT MYERS?
>> Reporter: EXACTLY, JOHN. AND THEY REALLY WANT TO BE A MODEL. HE DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE INTERVIEWS AND TOOTING HIS HORN WHILE THERE'S SO MUCH PAIN GOING ON RIGHT NOW WHEN.
HE WENT TO FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT AND SAY I WANT TO BUILD THIS SOLAR CITY, THEY SAY, I DON'T KNOW, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE US THE LAND SO THE COST DOESN'T GO TO CUSTOMERS. THE PRICE OF THE PANELS HAD FALL I DON'T KNOW SO FAR, HE DIDN'T HAVE TO GIVE THEM THE LAND.
