SANIBEL, Florida – We made one final stop on our tour of Sanibel before heading back to the mainland, at the historic Sanibel Lighthouse, which has guided this island community for more than a century.
A survivor of dozens of hurricanes and tropical storms, the lighthouse, built in 1884, outlasted Ian, too -- although not without a fight.
Early reports after Hurricane Ian pummeled Sanibel in late September suggested that the entire lighthouse may have toppled.
One of the structure’s four legs was swept away in the storm, along with several historic outbuildings. But the lighthouse, 98 feet tall, still stands sentinel at the east end of the island.
Shaken, yes – toppled, no.
“The lighthouse is not only a navigational beacon, it’s a beacon of hope for this community,” said John Lai, president of the Sanibel-Captiva Chamber of Commerce, who gave me a tour earlier this month of Sanibel and Captiva, side-by-side barrier islands in Southwest Florida.
Lai didn’t need to explain the importance of the lighthouse to me – it’s one of my favorite destinations on the island, a long-time family vacation spot and my parents’ home for decades.
The island, like its namesake lighthouse, is a survivor – down but not out, battered but not beaten.
It’s been more than two months since Ian hit the island, submerging it for hours with a massive storm surge.
Piles of debris still line the island roadways. Much of the island still doesn’t have electricity. And hundreds of residences and commercial buildings have been rendered uninhabitable.
In addition, the island remains largely off-limits to most non-residents, although that will change early next month, when the Sanibel Causeway reopens to the public.
Despite the devastation, there are glimmers of hope: Plant life across the island has started to recover, with an increasing amount of greenery amid the brown; several restaurants and shops have reopened, with more expected in the coming weeks. I even saw people playing pickleball on a court that seemingly sustained no damage at the Sundial Beach Resort on Middle Gulf Drive.
During my brief visit last week, I cheered on the Browns versus the Texans at a crowded Sanibel Grill, bought T-shirts for 50% off at the Sanibel Surf Shop and briefly strolled the sand behind the condo complex where my family usually stays.
Despite that hint of normalcy, it will take years before this place fully recovers.
“There’s nowhere to go but up,” said Calli Johnson, whose family has owned Bailey’s General Store on Sanibel for four generations.
The store, a Sanibel institution, took in about 6 feet of water during the storm and is currently uninhabitable. Johnson said the family is waiting for additional information before making a decision about whether to renovate or rebuild.
In the meantime, the store’s parking lot is being used as a staging area for Lee County Electric Cooperative, which is working to restore power to the island.
Jerry's Foods on Sanibel is open, as are several adjacent shops, including the Sanibel Surf Shop.
Picking up debris on Middle Gulf Drive on Sanibel.
Alone on the beach in Sanibel after Hurricane Ian.
Sanibel recovery
Despite its proximity to Fort Myers Beach – about 5 miles as the crow flies – Sanibel has a completely different vibe than its neighbor to the southeast.
Sanibel is about three times larger, with 70% of its land set aside for preservation. J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is the largest landowner on the island; the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation is No. 2.
So the destruction on Sanibel isn’t as jaw-dropping as it is on Fort Myers Beach, simply because the island is much less densely developed.
Access to Sanibel is via the 3-mile-long Sanibel Causeway, which remains closed to anyone who isn’t a worker or property owner. Police patrol the entrance to the bridge, checking that car occupants have the proper credentials.
But that will change in a few weeks. Lee County will start collecting tolls on the bridge again Jan. 1 ($6 per car); and on Jan. 2, the causeway will open to all.
“We can’t ask the businesses to reopen if we don’t reopen the bridge,” said Lai.
The causeway, which is actually a series of bridges and island overpasses, broke apart in three places during the storm. The span was repaired in a remarkable three weeks.
Public access to Sanibel’s world-famous beaches also remains closed, due in part to ongoing concerns about debris in the water and sand, and high levels of red tide, a harmful algal bloom that can cause respiratory ailments (to track red tide: myfwc.com/research/redtide/statewide/).
Lai said he also expects the beaches to reopen next month.
It will be years, however, before Sanibel can accommodate the overnight visitors it once could.
Patience Rodriguez, director of owner and guest relations at Select Vacation Properties, estimated that approximately 70% of the rental homes and condos she manages have some damage, and probably 20% will have to be rebuilt. But she expects that some rental units will be available in the next nine to 12 months, possibly even as early as May.
The Island Inn, on West Gulf Drive, is currently the only hotel open on the island, with 12 rooms for rent (currently available only to residents and workers).
On Captiva, the Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa plans to open to all visitors starting Dec. 17.
The Island Inn is the oldest hotel on the island, dating back to 1895. Before the hurricane, the resort had 19 structures on its property, some dating back to the 1920s. Today, there are four buildings left – including a structure built in 2017 to withstand a category 5 storm.
“The codes work,” said Island Inn general manager Chris Davison, who added that he was “full steam ahead on the rebuild.”
“We’ve been here 125-plus years,” he added. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Davison credits the Sanibel Plan – a comprehensive land-use document for the island, created in 1976 – with ensuring the island’s enduring, park-like setting.
There are no traffic lights on the island, no buildings taller than the highest palm tree, and just a handful of chain retailers.
James Evans, CEO of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, said any future building must keep climate change in mind.
Hurricane Ian isn’t the last strong storm that will hit the island, he noted. “We want to make sure we rebuild in a way that is resilient.”
Meanwhile, the environmental effects of Ian will be felt long into the future, he said.
The hurricane’s massive storm surge altered the salt content of freshwater marshes on the island, causing some species, including freshwater turtles, to perish, he said. Stress on the wildlife is likely to continue this winter, the dry season, as salinity levels stay elevated.
“But our wildlife is resilient,” he said. “It will come back.”
He noted that after Hurricane Charley slammed into the region in 2004, SCCF built up the island’s native tree canopy, replacing non-native Australian pines that were destroyed by the storm.
While there is still lots of brown vegetation throughout the island, new growth is apparent on every corner.
“Our native plants returned even before the humans did,” said Evans.
The humans, there is little doubt, will return as well.
My clan is already plotting a 2024 trip, after canceling a vacation here in early 2023.
One of the first places I’ll go when I return with my family: The lighthouse, the island’s new symbol for resilience, yes, but also a terrific spot to look for shells.
The leg that was lost, by the way, was found about a month after the storm, buried in the sand.
Plans are in the works to restore the structure to ensure it’s still standing for another 138 years.
Read more: Rebuilding Fort Myers Beach: Hurricane prompts debate over island’s future
At Sanibel Siesta, a condo complex on Sanibel; the big blue Adirondack chair was discovered on a nearby property and returned to its rightful location.
Work continues on the Sanibel Causeway, which broke apart in three places after Hurricane Ian.