Fort Myers Beach streets reopen

Seminole Way on Fort Myers Beach, after being flooded by Hurricane Idalia Wednesday morning. Photo by Steve Johnson

All Fort Myers Beach streets are now open though there is still standing water on some low-lying streets downtown around Crescent St., Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers said Thursday morning.

Several streets had been closed Wednesday evening due to flooding from Hurricane Idalia, including First, Second, Crescent and Old San Carlos Boulevard.

While Hurricane Idalia did not make a hit on Fort Myers Beach, the passing of its outer bands off the coast left widespread flooding downtown and on numerous side streets as storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico was felt particularly in the heart of downtown and on Main St. The town felt tropical storm force winds as the hurricane’s center passed by 100 miles away. The Town of Fort Myers Beach advised motorists to stay off town roads Wednesday due to winds and high waves from Hurricane Idalia. Water was flowing over Estero Boulevard, making for treacherous driving.

The town also advised beachgoers to stay away from the emergency berm.

The Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District responded to one vehicle stuck in floodwater and a power line down.

Seminole Way, after being flooded by Hurricane Ian Wednesday morning. Photo by Steve Johnson

Fort Myers Beach Fire Chief Scott Wirth said “Fort Myers Beach and San Carlos Island experienced local areas of flooding overnight, specifically during the period of high tide. Low lying areas along San Carlos Boulevard, Main Street, and Times Square had approximately 6-12 inches of water. The flooding began around 12:30 a.m. and subsided at approximately 3:30 a.m. Other areas along Estero Boulevard, including several of the side streets experienced flooding as well.”

Wirth said “the district did well, there were a few power and cable lines down, a few trees, and a few structures that showed outward signs of damage.”

Steve Johnson, who chairs the town’s Marine and Environmental Resources Task Force, said his street on Seminole Way, was flooded Wednesday morning. “The street was a mess,” Johnson said. “Water came up as high as Irma and left behind a mess to clean up. With the full moon king tide and the wind blowing in, the flooding centered around the high tides.”

Fort Myers Beach Councilmember Bill Veach said there was “a ton of Hurricane Ian debris washing up from Idalia” on the beach behind his property including construction materials, lumber, chairs and crab traps.

Some plants that he and wife Randa had recently planted were lost to the hurricane and the spray salt, though their trailer was not impacted by Idalia. Veach said the emergency berm of sand along the beach installed this year was flattened a bit by the hurricane but also weakened the waves from the Gulf from causing wider flooding damage.

Veach said he was concerned about the debris in the gulf. He said he hadn’t been made aware of any plans by any government agencies to clean it out. He recently contacted Keep Lee County Beautiful about having another beach cleanup day.

The entrance to the Mound House was filled with water, Veach said. The Beach Baptist Church suffered damage to one of their tents.

Allers said “overall, everything held up well on the beach. The hardest-hit area was probably Times Square with over a foot of packed sand. We had washouts onto Estero on the north end of the island and around Connecticut St. where the water got behind the berm on properties that did not have it. We have standing water from the storm and high tides on the low-lying streets and around Crescent. Staff is out again today cleaning up.” Allers, who had warned residents living in trailers on Monday not to stay in them as Idalia approached, said Wednesday that “the trailers held up well.”

The Florida Department of Health in Lee County is advising the public not to enter the water due to the possible ...