Hurricane Idalia’s damage in Bonita Springs

More than 700 sandbags couldn’t stop the flooding and storm surge on Hickory Road in Bonita Springs.

Parts of the road and coastal properties were damaged by Hurricane Idalia, but residents are thankful Idalia did not prove to be the second coming of Ian.

Storm surge did make its way through the parking lot of Doc’s Beach House, despite the 700 sandbags residents placed as a berm.

On Thursday, people returned to Bonita Beach, enjoying the sun despite a few showers, hoping hurricanes stay away the rest of this season.

Bill Hanson, owner of Bonita Jetski and Parasail, prepared for Idalia almost like Ian was coming.

“A little flooding event on the road and maybe up and down the rivers but certainly not an Ian storm,” Hanson said.

The hurricane swamped parts of Hickory Boulevard, and some water got into some million-dollar coastal properties.

But Hanson’s stress level remained under control.

“I got up about two in the morning, which was around high tide, and checked outside, and it was relatively calm,” Hanson said.

People started to move stuff off Bonita Beach last week and filled the sandbags on Sunday. When Hanson got here Wednesday morning, he said there was water running across the parking lot and over the sandbags.

“Had it turned a little more on us, it could have been an Ian kind of storm, just like it was up there. Ian was not supposed to hit us directly and really didn’t, but it was close enough to really mess us up,” Hanson said.

The health departments in both Lee and Collier counties advise swimmers not to go in the water,
because there may be water-borne illnesses stirred up by Hurricane Idalia.

The water has receded in Bonita, but Barefoot Beach access is closed due to the storm
and will reopen tomorrow.