PUNTA GORDA — Through March 1, the city of Punta Gorda has its annual seawall assessment.
During low tide periods when the weather and equipment operations are favorable, city staff will inspect seawalls in the southwest and southeast zones of Punta Gorda Isles.
The boundary of these zones is Aqui Esta Drive, the Punta Gorda Isles perimeter canal, Almar Drive, Muscovie Court, and the property along Buckley’s Pass, also known as Bird Cut.
The Burnt Store Isles District will also be inspected and the boundary of that zone is the Burnt Store Isles perimeter canal and Monaco Drive.
Punta Gorda residents have been challenged by failing seawalls since Hurricane Irma hit in 2017. The city battled the Federal Emergency Management Administration of funding for the seawall replacement and restoration.
Last year, the city received grant funding to fix the walls after seven years.
However, seawalls were battered again in Hurricane Ian in 2022. The city has a seven-page list of assessed damaged seawalls spanning 7.25 miles from Hurricane Ian. The city announced the Punta Gorda canal system suffered “near catastrophic level seawall failures.”