Captiva loses flood insurance discount, Sanibel not impacted

Reporter: Amy Galo
Published: Updated:

The 2024 hurricane season is approaching as we’re in the midst of a flood insurance crisis.

Come October, over half a million of our neighbors will lose their 25% discount from FEMA.

Here is the list of the impacted areas:

  • Cape Coral
  • Estero
  • Bonita Springs
  • Fort Myers Beach
  • Unincorporated Lee County

FEMA blames this flood insurance fiasco on our local leaders not keeping up with proper documentation, but two places are missing from the list.

Fort Myers and Sanibel get to keep their discounts.

People living on Captiva aren’t happy that they’ll be paying more than their neighbors when all they’re separated by is a tiny bridge.

This is all because Captiva is considered Unincorporated Lee County.

WINK drove around Sanibel and Captiva all day and spoke to residents.

Many homes across these islands still show scars from Hurricane Ian. Many places were vacated, and news of FEMA’s recent stripping away of a critical 25% flood insurance discount on Captiva is casting a shadow on recovery efforts.

Sanibel, on the other hand, remains untouched by that shadow.

It’s not on the list of municipalities that FEMA deemed should lose their discount. That list includes Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Estero, and unincorporated Lee County, which includes Captiva.
FEMA’s reason?

A “large amount of unpermitted work, lack of documentation and failure to properly monitor activity in special flood hazard areas.”

This has left Sanibel residents grateful their leaders ensured they were able to keep that discount.

“I think it’s unfortunate that it happened. Although living here on Sanibel on a piling home, we’re not affected that much,” said Wayne Pence, Sanibel resident.

“I feel sad for the people that are getting the rates increase because your politicians did a poor job, but that happens a lot,” said Mike DiCorpo, Sanibel resident.

We reached out to the City of Sanibel and asked if they received any explanation as to why they were not included on the list of places losing their 25% discount.

A spokesperson told us they never received one.

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