Sanibel eyes new hurricane protections amid recovery

It should come as no surprise that parts of Southwest Florida, especially Sanibel Island, have a long way to go in their recovery from this year’s hurricanes.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the city discussed possible ways to protect homes and businesses from future tropical systems.

WINK News reporter Jillian Haggerty showed us how the island has been coming along since the storms.

From destruction to reconstruction, Sanibel is coming back slowly but surely after Hurricane Ian.

Eric Jackson, the city of Sanibel’s public information officer, told WINK, “Beaches really took a beating after Hurricane Ian, and a lot of work has gone into getting those beaches back in place and ready to protect us against further storms. We did see that with Milton; it did its job; it really helped us, but there is more work that needs to be done.”

The goal is to restore the island to its original beauty and keep it that way.

Whether it would be the construction project on the Sanibel Causeway, which is scheduled to be finished sometime in 2027, or the beach renourishment project.

Or something brand new that could help with surges and flooding.

Craig Chandler, the deputy planning director for the city of Sanibel, said, “One of the things we saw used to great effect in areas like Tampa Bay were temporary flood barriers, so this could be gates or fences or dams.”

One of the businesses that may benefit from new plans is She Sells Sea Shells; we spoke with the owner, Tamara Joffe, to get her thoughts on getting more creative with hurricane preparation going into next season.

Joffe said, “I think that sounds encouraging as a business owner and a resident. My family for many, many, years on the island, anything that sounds like a good idea or it’s a best practice in another community would be welcomed.”

Joffe said that during Hurricane Ian, they saw around 5 feet of flooding, and during Helene and Milton, they got lucky but are 100% open to new ideas.

She said, “Yes, we actually incorporated a little bit of extra prep this time. We used tarps and more sandbags, and I do feel like that made a difference.”

It’s a difference that gives them hope.