Over the past year, the City of Sanibel placed more than 400,000 tons of sand to restore beaches devastated by recent hurricanes. With that phase complete, the focus shifted to replanting the beaches to reinforce the natural dune structure. Over 32,000 plants of a variety of species were planted, strengthening the beach with their root systems.

The Florida Department of Emergency Management is providing information and assistance on “Elevate Florida” for Marco Island residents on March 19th.The program is designed to protect homes and communities by reducing damage caused by natural disasters and flooding.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management will host a series of application assistance sessions for Elevate Florida, a statewide residential mitigation program designed to protect homes and communities from natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods.Elevate Florida representatives will be available at Tringali Community Center, 3460 N. Access Road in Englewood, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. March 19-21. Residents can learn about the program’s eligibility requirements, types of projects available, and receive assistance with their applications. Elevate Florida educational presentations will take place daily at noon and 5 p.m.

Sarasota County’s Resilient SRQ program has released its draft action plan for public review, outlining proposed uses for $210 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. These funds will support long-term recovery efforts following Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The public parking lot at the Alison Hagerup Beach on Captiva Island reopened Saturday.A partial reopening was also Saturday at North Jetty Park in Sarasota County

Fort Myers City Council voted 5 to 2 on February 18 to start over procuring bids for repairs to the columns and fencing that surround Rachel at the Well. Rachel, a 99-year old statue of a Grecian maiden that stands at the entrance to Edison Park at Llewellyn Drive and McGregor Boulevard, is fine, but her "surround" has still not been rebuilt more than two and a half years after Hurricane Ian.

Sanibel hired an engineering firm to inspect, repair and make upgrades to storm water system. Community input is vital.

Hurricane Milton cause widespread flooding and destruction five months ago; Deadline for waterway debris removal approaching.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday received an update on the progress of building the new, larger and more resilient Fort Myers Beach Pier that accelerates the planned completion of the project.The estimated completion date of the pier is now in August 2027, ahead of the previous planned completion in summer 2028.