Since Hurricane Ian devastated Fort Myers Beach on September 28, 2022, there has been much progress in cleaning up and starting to rebuild the island. Here are a few updates on the latest in the news:
- THE BEACHES:
- The town is working on obtaining easements from waterfront property owners to replace sand lost in the storm. The project will provide some protection if another major storm were to come through, and therefore is being funded by FEMA and the State of Florida. With turtle nesting season starting in May, the start date for this project has been pushed back so as to not disturb the turtle nests. For more information, visit www.fmbgov.com/beach.
- UPDATE: The town started preparing for this project on March 20th by stockpiling sand at the Wyndham Garden Inn on Estero Blvd, and beach traffic patterns are changing to accommodate the trucks bringing in the loads. Stay alert and be safe!
- It’s that time of year again! Red tide is back. Lee County has issued some precautions including but not limited to:
- Look for informational signage posted at beaches
- Stay away from the water, do not swim in waters with dead fish
- Stay away from beaches if you have chronic respiratory issues
- Wash your skin and clothes with soap and fresh water if you’ve had contact with red tide
- Keep pets and livestock away and out of the water, sea foam, and dead sea life
- Visit the Captains for Clean Water’s new Red Tide Conditions webpage for the latest information on red tide: https://captainsforcleanwater.org/swfl-red-tide-update/
- The town is working on obtaining easements from waterfront property owners to replace sand lost in the storm. The project will provide some protection if another major storm were to come through, and therefore is being funded by FEMA and the State of Florida. With turtle nesting season starting in May, the start date for this project has been pushed back so as to not disturb the turtle nests. For more information, visit www.fmbgov.com/beach.
- STREET SIGNS
- Local residents have made hand-painted street signs to help identify locations on the island. Even though the city is required to replace the street signs with the legally required version, the hand-painted signs will also remain in place.
- LIBRARY
- The work on the library is coming along. It is now ready for insulation and drywall. Flooring and shelving will be taken care of in the near future. However, it looks like the elevator will not be repaired for about 5 more months. The building cannot reopen to the public until the elevator is replaced/repaired as needed. There are hopes of a curbside service in the meantime, once internet is restored.
*****STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES IN NEXT MONTH’S NEWSLETTER*****