Hurricane Ian

Following the series of storms that have battered Fort Myers Beach, the island community is slowly churning along on its massive rebuild.

A New WGCU Documentary, Rising: Surviving The Surge, captures the previous unheard stories from individuals who were stuck in the destruction that surrounded the area following Hurricane Ian.

Generators and gas. Mops, buckets and tarps. Food and water. These are Just some of the items being stockpiled and placed in strategic places around Pine Island. A non-profit group that has helped hundreds of people since Hurricane Ian is preparing for this hurricane season.

As new buildings go up along the flood-prone Gulf coast at 15 to 20 feet off the ground, the future of Florida's infrastructure "looks high."

A meeting Wednesday morning delved into the status of storm-ravaged Fort Myers Beach Elementary School. WGCU’s Cary Barbor was there.

The Causeway Islands Park opened Thursday morning on the Sanibel Causeway with its first phase of amenities, the first time that visitors were able to enjoy the shoreline since the devastation of Hurricane Ian in September 2022.The park had been closed due to the essential rebuilding activities by the Florida Department of Transportation, which used the site during the critical process of rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway to make it more resilient.

WGCU’s “Untold Stories: Sanibel Island’s Store” is an official selection of the Fort Myers Film Festival. The festival, in its 15th year takes place May 14-18 at various local venues.

FEMA will remove Fort Myers Beach off probation status under the National Flood Insurance Program after the town met program requirements.The notice, issued Monday, will be effective November 18, 2025.

The concrete pour for the Little Pine Island Bridge is now tentatively scheduled for Friday, March 28, at 2 a.m. When work resumes, crews will pour more then 300 yards of concrete for the deck slab, requiring approximately five hours to complete.

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