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Hurricane Helene Recovery

Hurricane Helene Post-Storm First Look 
May contain: gravel, road, field, grassland, nature, outdoors, and ground
A beach with uprooted trees, cracked sand, under a cloudy sky. Signs of storm damage visible.
A sandy path with piled sand, trees, a wooden fence, and a glimpse of water in the background.
An empty gravel lot with debris, fallen branches, and lush greenery in the background.
May contain: wood, ground, and driftwood
A sideways view of a rocky surface with a plaque, palm trees, and a fence in the background.
A plaque on a rock surface commemorating Peter D. Scott (1977-1994).
Beach with trees, some erosion, and houses in the background. Clear sky with light clouds.
A utility vehicle on a beach with large rocks, footprints, and waves in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
A beach with footprints, a colorful house, palm trees, and people walking.
A beach with uprooted trees, a house in the background, and two people in the distance.
Beach view with sand, trees, debris, and beachfront houses under a clear sky.
Beach scene with an overturned boat, palm trees, and houses in the background.
A beach with piles of sand, palm trees, a bench, and a rock barrier near the ocean.
Casuarina trees on a beachfront with visible debris, reflecting possible post-storm conditions.
A sandy beach with palm trees, foliage, a building, and a clear sky.
Beach with debris, damaged infrastructure, and a sand dune under cloudy skies.
Beach parking area with sand, wooden posts, shadows, and buildings with palm trees in the background.
Flooded street with submerged sign, trees, and view from inside a vehicle.
Flooded area with trees, submerged trash bins, and a building in the background.
A serene beach with white sand, scattered seaweed, a few people, trees lining the shore and a clear sky.
A flooded garden with a sign "Captiva Vacation Homes" and a house in the background.
Flooded backyard with submerged trees and debris, a covered hot tub in the foreground, and a damaged wooden structure.
A sandy, dirty car stuck on a beach with construction equipment in the background.
A pile of wooden debris and leaves scattered on the ground outside a building.
Flooded yard with an overturned shed, a palm tree, a submerged object, and a house in the background.
A car stuck in sand near a bulldozer on a sunny beach.
Overturned picnic tables and debris on sandy ground near a building.
A car buried in sand near construction equipment and a beach.
A flooded area with a Royal Shell real estate sign partially submerged in brownish water, near palm trees.
Sand-covered road with tire tracks, palm trees, a no parking sign, and a white building.
A sandy area with tire tracks, mounds of sand, palm trees, and no parking signs.
A sign reading "Captiva Vacation" partially submerged in water with vegetation in the background.
Sandy beach with uprooted trees, ocean waves, scattered debris, and overcast skies.
A two-story white house with a garage, surrounded by palm trees and shrubs, and a pathway leading up to it.
A flooded residential area with water around a house and up the stairs.
Traffic cone next to eroded pavement and debris.
Flooded area with submerged trash bins and vegetation around a building.
Flooded residential area with an overturned shed, debris, and a house in the background.
Secluded beach with trees, seagrass, blue sky, clouds, and a few people in the distance.
A flooded yard with a house surrounded by water and tropical vegetation.
A house with a front area flooded, with stairs leading up to a second-story entrance.
May contain: gravel, road, field, grassland, nature, outdoors, and ground
A beach with uprooted trees, cracked sand, under a cloudy sky. Signs of storm damage visible.
A sandy path with piled sand, trees, a wooden fence, and a glimpse of water in the background.
An empty gravel lot with debris, fallen branches, and lush greenery in the background.
May contain: wood, ground, and driftwood
A sideways view of a rocky surface with a plaque, palm trees, and a fence in the background.
A plaque on a rock surface commemorating Peter D. Scott (1977-1994).
Beach with trees, some erosion, and houses in the background. Clear sky with light clouds.
A utility vehicle on a beach with large rocks, footprints, and waves in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
A beach with footprints, a colorful house, palm trees, and people walking.
A beach with uprooted trees, a house in the background, and two people in the distance.
Beach view with sand, trees, debris, and beachfront houses under a clear sky.
Beach scene with an overturned boat, palm trees, and houses in the background.
A beach with piles of sand, palm trees, a bench, and a rock barrier near the ocean.
Casuarina trees on a beachfront with visible debris, reflecting possible post-storm conditions.
A sandy beach with palm trees, foliage, a building, and a clear sky.
Beach with debris, damaged infrastructure, and a sand dune under cloudy skies.
Beach parking area with sand, wooden posts, shadows, and buildings with palm trees in the background.
Flooded street with submerged sign, trees, and view from inside a vehicle.
Flooded area with trees, submerged trash bins, and a building in the background.
A serene beach with white sand, scattered seaweed, a few people, trees lining the shore and a clear sky.
A flooded garden with a sign "Captiva Vacation Homes" and a house in the background.
Flooded backyard with submerged trees and debris, a covered hot tub in the foreground, and a damaged wooden structure.
A sandy, dirty car stuck on a beach with construction equipment in the background.
A pile of wooden debris and leaves scattered on the ground outside a building.
Flooded yard with an overturned shed, a palm tree, a submerged object, and a house in the background.
A car stuck in sand near a bulldozer on a sunny beach.
Overturned picnic tables and debris on sandy ground near a building.
A car buried in sand near construction equipment and a beach.
A flooded area with a Royal Shell real estate sign partially submerged in brownish water, near palm trees.
Sand-covered road with tire tracks, palm trees, a no parking sign, and a white building.
A sandy area with tire tracks, mounds of sand, palm trees, and no parking signs.
A sign reading "Captiva Vacation" partially submerged in water with vegetation in the background.
Sandy beach with uprooted trees, ocean waves, scattered debris, and overcast skies.
A two-story white house with a garage, surrounded by palm trees and shrubs, and a pathway leading up to it.
A flooded residential area with water around a house and up the stairs.
Traffic cone next to eroded pavement and debris.
Flooded area with submerged trash bins and vegetation around a building.
Flooded residential area with an overturned shed, debris, and a house in the background.
Secluded beach with trees, seagrass, blue sky, clouds, and a few people in the distance.
A flooded yard with a house surrounded by water and tropical vegetation.
A house with a front area flooded, with stairs leading up to a second-story entrance.
Emergency Response Plan 
  • Conduct a visual survey of the beach and provide an estimate of losses to FEMA, the Corps of Engineers, FDEP, FDEM and the County Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The decision to declare a Federal disaster is based on the cumulative impact of all reporting communities.
  • If a disaster is likely to be declared or the threshold is exceeded, perform poststorm topographic and bathymetric surveys and analysis to determine the fill volumes and placement locations. These surveys can take place as soon as the area is accessible and be completed within weeks. The information from the surveys and analysis will be used to finalize the permits, plans and specifications for a dredging contract and make definitive loss reports to the State FEMA and the Corps of Engineers.
  • Based on the District Engineer’s recommendation and information provided by emergency agencies, the CEPD board should decide on one of the following courses of action:
    • Take no action and wait for natural recovery or routine nourishment to restore the beach.
    • Decide on immediate nourishment to begin within 90 days.
    • Plan for a deliberate emergency nourishment, subject to eligibility and funding approval to restore storm losses. - In Progress
    • Approve a hot spot nourishment project using an upland sand source.
  • Finalize plans and specifications (P&S) with the information from the post storm surveys. These will provide instructions to the dredging contractor on the specific project needs. Plans and specifications can be completed within a month following the storm event and are needed to secure a notice to proceed from FDEP. The P&S will be based on updating the latest used for construction or those prepared for the next project.
  • Activate permits with the final information from the post-storm surveys. Activation will consist of the notice to proceed from the State and Federal agencies, and should be completed within a month following the storm event.
  • Activate the bid procedure by issuing a bid announcement that establishes a bid date and availability of plans and specifications. This activity can be completed within two months from the storm event. This is a multi-step process: including providing a project description to contractors, bid announcement, provide P&S, provide proof of permit, and bid opening after a shortened bid period.
  • Activate financing plan with the final project costs. This will include a short term loan, based on the established line of credit, or the sale of bonds. The bond validation process and sale can be completed within three months. Reserve funds may be needed to start the process prior to loan or bond activation.
  • Implement restoration operations. Based on notice to proceed, the dredging contractor could be on site within three months of the storm event, if bidding is initiated early and contractors (dredgers) are not superseded by Federal emergency directives.
  • Request reimbursement of funds from appropriate sources. Sources may include the Federal government, the State of Florida, Lee County, and the City of Sanibel.
  • For a deliberate planning and construction process, the steps are the same but
    timing may extent for up to a couple of years.