How Fort Myers Beach is preparing for potential tropical system

WINK News’ coverage of the potential tropical system has our attention on the island community of Fort Myers Beach.

It’s a community whose entire landscape changed because of how strong Hurricane Ian was.

Coming up on two years after Ian, this community has done a lot of work to prepare themselves for what could be here later this week.

From new and improved buildings, sand berms and so much more, Fort Myers Beach is not the town we used to know.

WINK News anchor Claire Galt was on the island to see what the town is doing to prepare.

The town is handing out sandbags at Town Hall on Oak Street.

In the early afternoon, Town Hall employees said they had handed out four or five bags so far but expected many more to show up.

Tropical Storm Debby showed them the importance of preparing for any storm.

The picture below shows what Snug Harbor looked like when Debby’s flood waters rushed through.

Manager Leslie Donavan told us Debby was no Hurricane Ian, but it brought two to four feet of storm surge to the island.

And their beautiful waterfront dining came with a price.

“We kind of got lost in the water,” said Donavan.

Now, Donavan and her team are brainstorming about how to get ready for the next potential tropical system that is gaining strength in the Gulf.

WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt told said it’s too soon to know what kind of impacts the beach will see, but the potentially named storm has Denise and Bruce Canady on edge.

“Worried about storm surge, worried about the amount of rain that we’re going to get. I think that’s what scares me more than anything anymore,” said the Canadys.

The best way to ease the nerves? Overprepare.

“We’ve got storm shutters and storm windows,” they said.

Phill Jordan told WINK News he plans to take his car and park it at Southwest Florida International Airport this week.

He’s not so worried about his home on the second floor, but he is concerned about his neighbors down below. Their canal floods big time.

“All I can do is help them downstairs in the two apartments, put their stuff on the blocks, and which is what. What we did last time, and then just go in and squeegee the water out as quickly as we can,” said Jordan.

And if they need a place to stay, Phil’s got his guest room ready.

“This is the guest room. Nobody uses it. I don’t have any guests,” laughed Jordan.

The town said they are prepared for whatever comes.

They’re making sure items that could blow over will either be brought inside or tied down and
storm drains will be cleaned out.