Some observations from Gasparilla Island just after Hurricane Milton

While residents are not yet allowed back, numerous crews are on island today, and were there yesterday. Below are first-hand observations from Gasparilla Island on Thursday from George “Bo” Hambrick, who is a volunteer for the Aux Com communications project for the Boca Grande Fire Department.

Below are his personal observations, in chronological order. Off island bullet points also help to convey the scene:

• One Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office deputy was on duty, allowing only first responders to proceed, per his statement.
• After passing through the toll gate, I saw a member of the bridge staff using a Bobcat to clear considerable sand and debris from some of the lanes.
• Proceeding on—both at my dawn check and around 2 p.m.—I observed massive and deep flooding at the foot of the third bridge, at the Gulf Shores Blvd. intersection. It was deeper than after Hurricane Ian, and completely impassable to all but very high-ground clearance, super heavy-duty vehicles. It was impassable even to sheriff’s cruisers and pickup trucks.
• Just after dawn, four Lee County Sheriff’s Office vehicles were stacked at the foot of the bridge, unable to proceed. One was towing a 12-foot Jon boat with an outboard motor, which is telling.
• The three bridges are in good shape. However, the causeway itself shows massive washout, particularly between the second and third bridges on the Charlotte Harbor side, all the way to the edge of the tarmac. Many water pipe sections were broken and completely exposed.
• Crews were already on the scene inspecting the bridges and roadbed for damage.
• Several other Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office units were standing by in the Placida boat ramp parking lot.
• BGFD AUXCOMM repeater checks were all satisfactory. The Bridge, Tower, and Boca Bay repeaters all opened normally, as did the Englewood and distant Fort Myers repeaters programmed into our radios. This will be very important for island organizations during recovery management. The Motorola R7s were issued to organizational leadership on Monday as planned, with radio checks made, all satisfactory and designed for situations like this.

Off Island

• Heading up Placida Road, there was evidence of a massive storm surge. Passing the marina on Lemon Bay (former Leverock’s Restaurant area across from Palm Island), a number of boats were in the woods on the east side of the road, upright, indicating they floated over.
• Continuing north, other examples include the destruction of the very old, picturesque trailer park right on Lemon Bay, adjacent to the Lighthouse Grill across from Stump Pass and Stump Pass Marina. There is more heavy damage there. An FNG helicopter dropped a soldier down to assess the situation, per a concurrent radio report from an EPICC Englewood team member.
• Manasota Key access was closed. Anecdotal reports—including TV reports from Englewood residents interviewed at day’s end—indicate heavy sand in many, if not all, of the restaurants and businesses. Manasota Key Road is completely closed to the north bridge on the Sarasota County side—a nine-mile stretch of the coast. To understate the obvious, this is a major disaster for the Englewood area.
• The Old Englewood Dearborn Street area had some flooding, but it does not appear to have been too deep nor destructive to business structures based on a drive-by. Elevations gradually rise from about the Englewood Fire House/Chamber of Commerce area as you go north.
• No businesses of any kind were open on the check run to Venice. Cape Haze Publix opened in the early afternoon, with hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• I returned to Placida and finally got cell service for a very short distance beside the mulch plant on Gasparilla Road. I believe the BGFD fire trucks got back on the island about that time, as I saw one proceeding in from Arcadia on Gasparilla Road while I was parked beside the road around 11 a.m.—and there were no BGFD vehicles at the Publix parking lot designated mobilization point.
• Around 2 p.m., I made another attempt to get to the firehouse, this time observing many law enforcement, FDOT, Lee County, and two Florida National Guard large troop transport trucks with troops stacked at the foot of the third bridge.
• By then, the Placida boat ramp parking lot was full of about 10 local and state law enforcement vehicles, as well as a convoy of 10 FNG trucks, all loaded with troops—possibly engineering troops. Clearly part of Florida’s well-planned, massive response to a staggering disaster across the state. See the attached photo—it’s certainly massive here.
• Also noteworthy: The U.S. Coast Guard, Florida National Guard aviation, and law enforcement helicopters were observed working with spotlights from before dawn through the day.