When was the last time a hurricane hit Fort Myers?

In September 2022, Hurricane Ian's historic surge and winds decimated swaths of Southwest Florida, especially coastal Lee County communities of Pine Island, Matlacha, St. James City, Sanibel Island and Captiva. The epicenter of the destruction was Fort Myers Beach.



People Also Ask

Visitors of Fort Myers Beach can see the town is in the process of recovery, as onlookers can still see destroyed structures, debris and abandoned areas. The resilient residents of Fort Myers Beach are still in the process of rebuilding following Ian.

MORE DETAILS

Idalia made landfall at Keaton Beach in Florida's Big Bend area (wind speeds around 125 mph) as a Category 3 hurricane on Aug. 30, after briefly undergoing a rapid intensification to a Category 4 storm overnight. This area had not been hit by a strong storm in 125 years.

MORE DETAILS

The hurricane stormed Lee County barrier islands with winds approaching Category 5 speed, followed by storm surge of up to 18 feet. Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, Pine Island, Captiva Island sustained the most damage, with officials saying not one structure escaped damage.

MORE DETAILS

Considering hurricanes of Categories 1 to 5, the most secure regions in Florida include Central Florida (for instance, Orlando), Northeast Florida (such as Palatka), Central West Florida (Tampa), and North Central Florida (including Gainesville).

MORE DETAILS