It’s been one week since Hurricane Milton passed by our islands about 150 miles offshore, producing a storm surge in excess of 5 feet in some areas and wind gusts up to 72 mph on the islands.

At 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, about 60 miles north as a Cat. 3 hurricane, crossing the state of Florida at hurricane strength.

“We took all precautions with this storm, enacting our Hurricane Plan at its highest level,” said SCCF CEO James Evans. “We also reached out to the City and Sanibel Fire & Rescue to support them in advance.”

SCCF moved most of its vehicles to Hammond Stadium, freeing up parking at the Wildlife & Habitat Management facility, which at 11 feet is one of the highest elevations on the island.

Some City vehicles and Fire & Rescue parked there to stay safe from the potential surge of Milton, which was forecast to possibly reach 10 feet following a 24-hour rapid intensification from a Tropical Storm on Sunday to a Cat. 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 180 mph. 

“We are grateful that Milton was weakened by wind shear and dry air and our community, as well as fellow Florida communities, didn’t have impacts as intense as predicted,” said Evans. 

Flooding, sand overwash, and wind damage to the island community exceeded impacts from Hurricane Helene two weeks earlier, but didn’t come close to rivaling overall impacts of Hurricane Ian in 2022.

“Many homes and businesses experienced flooding due to Milton, including minimal water intrusion in three of our SCCF facilities,” he said. “We stand strong, once again, with our community in our ongoing recovery efforts.”

By yesterday, the City of Sanibel was able to end its daily Facebook Live updates.

“Normalcy is just around the corner,” said Mayor Richard Johnson, as he extended his gratitude to the efforts of LCEC to restore power and Comcast to get the islands back online.

Captiva, which was inaccessible for a few days due to sand overwash and road wash out near Blind Pass, also made quick progress in opening back up to residents and businesses.

“As more frequent and intense storm events disrupt our lives and impact our homes and businesses, it is more important than ever that we work together to implement strategies that will make our communities more resilient to future storm events,” said Evans.    

The SCCF Marine Lab’s River, Estuary, and Coastal Observing Network (RECON) sensors recorded these maximum wind gusts on Oct. 9.

• Gulf of Mexico sensor – 75 mph at 11:30 p.m. 
• Marine Lab sensor – 72 mph at 11:15 p.m.

In the coming weeks, SCCF’s focus will shift back to our mission-driven work, including assessing these back-to-back hurricanes’ impacts on wildlife and water quality.

Milton’s surge caused minimal interior flooding at these SCCF properties:

• The Honey House at the Native Landscapes & Garden Center
• The Wilmeth Cottage, where we had been housing our interns
• The lower level of the Marine Laboratory, where equipment and diving gear are kept.

These buildings have all undergone immediate remediation.

SCCF’s Sanibel Sea School will reopen on Thursday, Oct. 17. The Native Landscapes & Garden Center will remain closed through Oct. 21, and hopes to re-open next week but will be issuing an announcement soon.

The SanCap Chamber has created a list of businesses that have reopened post-Hurricane Milton.

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, please reach out to FISH through its 24-hour phone line at 239.472.0404 or email info@fishofsancap.org.