Fort Myers Beach to reopen to residents Sunday to visit damaged properties

FORT MYERS BEACH, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 03: Jeff Mathews holds a flag his friend found among the debris in the wake of Hurricane Ian on October 3, 2022 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The death toll in the state from Ian rose to at least 100 today following the storm making landfall as Category 4 hurricane, causing extensive damage along the coast as rescue crews continued the search for survivors. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The Town of Fort Myers Beach is reopening access to the town beginning Sunday morning for residents, property owners, business owners and insurance adjusters now that the responsibility of controlling access to the town is transitioning from the Fire District to the Town Government of Fort Myers Beach.

“Since the storm, the effort to save lives and recover the remains of lost loved ones has been the top priority,” said Fort Myers Beach Mayor Ray Murphy. “We are now ready to move to the next step in the recovery process.”

Most residents of Fort Myers Beach have been off the island since they evacuated prior to the storm and are ready to get home to assess their property, take actions to protect their property and begin the insurance claims process.

Beginning tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. access to the Town of Fort Myers Beach will open to residents, property owners and business owners, claims adjusters and others that need to be on the island.

Residents and property owners should bring ID with them or proof of residency to be allowed on the island.

To minimize Fort Myers Beach traffic congestion, the following plan will be used:

Property owners between the Big Carlos Pass Bridge and Beach Theater on the south end of the island, or between Times Square and Bowditch Point Park on the north end of the island can enter beginning at 7 am.
Properties between the Beach Theater and Publix can enter after 8 am.
For Properties between Publix and Town Hall can enter after 9 am.
Properties between Town Hall and Times Square can enter after 10 am.

Everyone who wants to come to the island needs to know several things:

There is no power, no water or wastewater service and no trash pickup. Internet and cellular service is not at full strength. Many structures are destroyed, and almost all are unsafe to enter. There is no food or water available on the island, and no businesses are open. Big Carlos Pass Bridge remains closed. A curfew at 7 pm remains in place and those that come to check on their properties should plan to leave the island before 7 pm.

The island was covered in 12-18 feet of salt water from the storm surge. The structural integrity of many homes and buildings is compromised. The electrical systems of most structures on the island are damaged.

Permits and inspections will be required before power will be turned back on to individual structures. The town recommends property owners use locally licensed contractors.

Disaster Survivor Assistance Teams from FEMA will be on the island in the coming days to help people register for federal disaster assistance. Residents can also register online at disasterassistance.gov or on the phone at 1-800-621-3362.

An interim Town Hall has been set up beside the damaged Town Hall. Details on required permits and inspections will be made available on the Town’s website and social media channels.

It’s critical that personal vehicles on the island do not block streets, or hinder operations like debris removal.

Representatives from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Lee County Public Safety, incident management teams and others are assisting the Town in moving forward through the recovery process.

The Town will be providing regular updates on storm recovery via news releases, the Town website and social media.

Additional relief information can be found here.

Pictures Of Fort Myers Beach In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Ian

Fort Myers Beach is absolutely destroyed. Our entire Southwest Florida area is reeling from Hurricane Ian. Most of us are without power and internet. We have limited cell and text messaging available. Many of you reading this are from outside of our area, so if can help:

How To Help Those Impacted By Hurricane Ian

We are currently live and taking phone calls and texts 98.1 FM, 106.3 FM, and 96.1 FM. You can also steam via the B103.9, 96K-Rock, ESPNSWFL, and Sunny1063 apps. To hear the broadcast in Spanish, tune to 99.3 fm or via the Playa99.3 app.

Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, an island off the coast of Fort Myers, just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday. With Ian, came 150 mph winds, the fifth-strongest hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. According to ABC News, "Ian then made a second landfall 90 minutes later, still as a Category 4 storm with 145 mph winds, just south of Punta Gorda, near Pirate Harbor."

While the efforts to restore Fort Myers Beach will be a years long recovery, our whole area is suffering greatly. The causeway to Sanibel collapsed and the docks sustained heavy damage, making the island only accessible by helicopter. There's some areas where we don't even know yet the extent of the damage.

We will rebuild. But this is going to take a long time.

Hurricane Ian Slams Into West Coast Of Florida

Florida's Southern Gulf Coast Continues Clean Up Efforts In Wake Of Hurricane Ian

FORT MYERS BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 02: In this aerial view, the destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on October 02, 2022 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Fort Myers Beach sustained severe damage by the Category 4 hurricane which caused extensive damage to the southwest portion of Florida. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Florida's Southern Gulf Coast Continues Clean Up Efforts In Wake Of Hurricane Ian

FORT MYERS BEACH, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 02: In this aerial view, destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on October 02, 2022 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Fort Myers Beach sustained severe damage by the Category 4 hurricane which caused extensive damage to the southwest portion of Florida. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Hurricane Ian Slams Into West Coast Of Florida

FORT MYERS BEACH,FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 29: In an aerial view, a damaged Fort Myers Beach pier and surrounding buildings are seen after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area causing severe damage. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)