FORT MYERS BEACH Closer look at rescue operations during Helene All across Southwest Florida, we saw stories of bravery and selflessness during Helene.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Neighbors hit with flooding in Dean Park community On Friday, roads in downtown Fort Myers were fairly dry. It’s a stark contrast to Thursday night’s storm surge caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Helene.
ESTERO ISLAND Precautionary boil water notice issued for parts of Estero Island A precautionary water boil notice has been issued for Estero Island on Friday.
SANIBEL Helene aftermath in Sanibel While much of the water has receded, the Sanibel Causeway was closed for several hours Friday morning because city crews were trying to clean up the flooding and debris.
LEE COUNTY WINK News Player of the Week: Riverdale RB Cole Hayes Riverdale running back Cole Hayes rushed for 336 yards and five touchdowns against Cypress Lake to be named the WINK News Player of the Week.
Matlacha resident on difficult road to recovery after Helene Matlacha residents are recovering from Helene’s storm surge on Thursday.
FORT MYERS BEACH Neighbors begin to clean up after flooding on Fort Myers Beach Waking up Friday morning, Fort Myers Beach neighbors had deja vu. The site of debris, the sound of alarms and the unmistakable smell of mud brought back memories of Hurricane Ian.
PUNTA GORDA Fire erupts in Charlotte County home Authorities are responding to a fire in a Punta Gorda home on Friday afternoon.
FLORIDA Rescuers race to free people trapped by Hurricane Helene after storm kills at least 40 in 4 states Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping trees like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
FORT MYERS Parts of Island Hopper Songwriter Festival to continue While Hurricane Helene has caused disruptions to the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest schedule, one show will continue as planned on Friday.
Downtown Fort Myers businesses reopen after Hurricane Helene Only the businesses and restaurants along Bay Street, Dean Street and Lee Street flooded—and that was with a few inches of water, not a few feet like two years ago.
Charlotte County officials: stay out as crews assess Helene’s impact Charlotte County officials are set to hold a news conference discussing the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach homeowners cleaning up damage left by Helene Homeowners are cleaning up their homes on Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Helene passed through Florida Thursday night.
PERRY Gov. DeSantis travels around Florida in the aftermath of Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled across Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Blackbird Asian restaurant begins construction at Naples Bay Resort Blackbird Modern Asian waterfront restaurant began its interior buildout Sept. 23 at Naples Bay Resort & Marina in the former longtime space of Bonefish Grill, which was flooded by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge two years ago.
FORT MYERS BEACH Closer look at rescue operations during Helene All across Southwest Florida, we saw stories of bravery and selflessness during Helene.
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS Neighbors hit with flooding in Dean Park community On Friday, roads in downtown Fort Myers were fairly dry. It’s a stark contrast to Thursday night’s storm surge caused by the outer bands of Hurricane Helene.
ESTERO ISLAND Precautionary boil water notice issued for parts of Estero Island A precautionary water boil notice has been issued for Estero Island on Friday.
SANIBEL Helene aftermath in Sanibel While much of the water has receded, the Sanibel Causeway was closed for several hours Friday morning because city crews were trying to clean up the flooding and debris.
LEE COUNTY WINK News Player of the Week: Riverdale RB Cole Hayes Riverdale running back Cole Hayes rushed for 336 yards and five touchdowns against Cypress Lake to be named the WINK News Player of the Week.
Matlacha resident on difficult road to recovery after Helene Matlacha residents are recovering from Helene’s storm surge on Thursday.
FORT MYERS BEACH Neighbors begin to clean up after flooding on Fort Myers Beach Waking up Friday morning, Fort Myers Beach neighbors had deja vu. The site of debris, the sound of alarms and the unmistakable smell of mud brought back memories of Hurricane Ian.
PUNTA GORDA Fire erupts in Charlotte County home Authorities are responding to a fire in a Punta Gorda home on Friday afternoon.
FLORIDA Rescuers race to free people trapped by Hurricane Helene after storm kills at least 40 in 4 states Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the entire southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 40 people in four states, snapping trees like twigs, tearing apart homes and sending rescue crews on desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
FORT MYERS Parts of Island Hopper Songwriter Festival to continue While Hurricane Helene has caused disruptions to the Island Hopper Songwriter Fest schedule, one show will continue as planned on Friday.
Downtown Fort Myers businesses reopen after Hurricane Helene Only the businesses and restaurants along Bay Street, Dean Street and Lee Street flooded—and that was with a few inches of water, not a few feet like two years ago.
Charlotte County officials: stay out as crews assess Helene’s impact Charlotte County officials are set to hold a news conference discussing the damage caused by Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach homeowners cleaning up damage left by Helene Homeowners are cleaning up their homes on Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Helene passed through Florida Thursday night.
PERRY Gov. DeSantis travels around Florida in the aftermath of Helene Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled across Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
Blackbird Asian restaurant begins construction at Naples Bay Resort Blackbird Modern Asian waterfront restaurant began its interior buildout Sept. 23 at Naples Bay Resort & Marina in the former longtime space of Bonefish Grill, which was flooded by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge two years ago.
The decision to spend more money and time to rebuild an iconic landmark has some people scratching their heads. Only pillars are left from what was once the Fort Myers Beach Pier. Since Hurricane Ian destroyed it, repairing the pier has never been questioned. It’s been a matter of how and how much. On Tuesday, Lee County Commissioners picked a plan to rebuild it. They had three options. The first two would have made slight changes to the pier at little or no cost to the county. The county picked option three, which adds about $11 million to its tab. According to commissioners, the total construction cost is estimated at $17.1 million, with about $11.6 million coming from Lee County Tourist Development Tax reserves to supplement the FEMA reimbursement. Currently, the pier is 585 feet and 3 inches. The option commissioners chose will make it 414 feet 9 inches longer, nearly double the size. People have mixed views regarding whether this new and expensive pier will be worth it. Some people think this is what the town of Fort Myers Beach needs, while others don’t think the pier needs to be increased by nearly 70%. However, one thing everyone can agree on is that the pier currently reminds them of Hurricane Ian. The question on everyone’s mind is when will crews begin construction? The beach pier committee chairperson told WINK News they hope to see crews with shovels in the sand by September 2025, the third anniversary of Hurricane Ian. Watch above for the whole story.