Hurricane Helene’s surge soaked Sanibel almost two years to the day after Hurricane Ian walloped the island’s historic lighthouse.
Ian’s force broke one of the 140-year-old structure’s leg, washed away its two vintage buildings and eroded the nearby beach.
Did Helene finish what Ian started?
Not at all, island officials say.
In fact, the restoration work and sand replacement that happened in the intervening years post-Ian likely kept things from being much worse.
“The beaches held up and did exactly what they were supposed to,” city spokesman Eric Jackson wrote in a text.
Plus, the structure itself benefitted from some $840,000 in repairs that replaced the broken leg, struts, tie rods and a ladder plus got it a new coat of protective paint.
What happened between Ian and Helene?
In addition to fortifying its beaches with an island-wide sand berm, Sanibel has been working with the U.S. Army Corps and the state of Florida to get permits to put sand not just above the average high tide line, but below it as well.