Sand is added to Fort Myers Beach to protect homes from future storms

Truck after truck filled with sand is headed to Fort Myers Beach as part of a plan to help the beach repair and rebuild a place that means so much to many.

This project will add elevation to areas impacted by Hurricane Ian. This elevation will help protect homes from storm surges and also provide homes for wildlife on the island.

“What we’re doing now, we’re receiving the sand from Immokalee Stewart Mining Facility,” said John Gary Grubbs, a contractor with Grubbs Emergency Services.

The sand is being brought in because the beach needs it.

“Right now, we’re just getting started on the first 50,000 tons so that we can be prepared once we get the conditions all met for as the funding and get ready to start placing the sand on the dunes,” Grubbs said.

Grubbs is the guy in charge of what’s called the emergency berm project. The plan is to rebuild the beach ripped apart and washed away by Ian.

This is important work in case another hurricane eyes Southwest Florida. The berm is meant to slow down a future storm surge.

“It’s an awesome operation. We’re excited to see what it looks like when it’s done. We’re looking to see the improvements. So we’re, we’re good with what’s going forward,” said Judy Farrell, a Fort Myers Beach resident.

Grubbs said he knows the people who live on or visit the beach have questions, and he’s got answers.

“Just the berms [itself], or, you know, they’re they designed to be five, six foot, but as for me, we’re high water levels. So the berms behind the houses won’t be near as a basin is what people seem to think they’re going to be. So once they see what we’re doing, they’ll get a lot better comfort level as far as what’s going to take place in their backyard,” said Grubbs.

The job is supposed to take 90 days, but the contractor said his goal is to get it all done much sooner.