Hurricanes cause widespread damage. Southwest Florida covers many miles along the Gulf of Mexico. When Hurricane Milton came to town on Wednesday (Oct. 9) there was high-anxiety in coastal communities with residents and business owners concerned about storm surge.
One of those places is Boca Grande, where there is a village for many seasonal people and some year-round residents. It’s located on Gasparilla Island. Milton’s impact, as you can see in the drone video at the top of this page, was extensive including large volumes of sand pushed into streets and properties, damaged fences and roofs.
The drone video was taken by Lee County.
From reporter Mickenzie Hannon:
Gasparilla Road is undergoing emergency repairs, and the county is working to restore access.
Lee County Public Safety and DOT are coordinating with the bridge authority and Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office to get the bridge open to residents soon, the county said in a 1:39 p.m. update.
- DOT clearing bicycle/golf cart path for emergency vehicles to use.
- DOT restoring multiple washed-out intersections.
- Some side streets remain unpassable. Working to establish limited access.
- The measures for drainage that Lee DOT put in place last month during Hurricane Helene have proved effective.