Fixing the island’s low points: High water worries continue on north, south end

Since Hurricane Ian, Boca Grande has seen a dry year. Of course, that could change at any time.  After hurricanes or, really, any big rainstorm, there are a few areas of the island that flood – namely at the north end of the island along Gasparilla Road and on the southern end of the island, including Gulf Boulevard at the Gasparilla Island Light and the very south tip of the island. Depending on the depth of the water, residents with taller SUVs and pickups can plow through the standing water, as they clear about over 10 inches. Cars today, however, can only clear about six inches.

Reporter Sheila Evans contributed to this story

Since Hurricane Ian, Boca Grande has seen a dry year. Of course, that could change at any time. 

After hurricanes or, really, any big rainstorm, there are a few areas of the island that flood – namely at the north end of the island along Gasparilla Road and on the southern end of the island, including Gulf Boulevard at the Gasparilla Island Light and the very south tip of the island.

Depending on the depth of the water, residents with taller SUVs and pickups can plow through the standing water, as they clear about over 10 inches. Cars today, however, can only clear about six inches.

For the issues on the north end of the island, Charlotte County has two public entities that concern themselves with drainage issues. We have not only the Charlotte County Department of Transportation, but the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority as well. GIBA owns the road from the causeway entrance off Placida Road to just south of the Boca Grande Resort.

Following Hurricane Ian, flooding on the north end of the island was deep and longstanding due to a lack of an outlet for the water. The lake, which is the property of the homeowners of Gulf Shores North and not within the jurisdiction of the Bridge Authority, has no way to drain out into Gasparilla Sound or the Gulf – it is a landlocked lake. 

Several suggestions have been considered, provided by GIBA’s engineering firm, Giffels Webster. They could create several shallow, swale-like ditches or cuts in the soil. These would allow water to move toward the pond, instead of pooling on the roadway.

They could also provide an outlet for the pond, rather than relying entirely on seepage into the ground, which would help to alleviate the flooding from large storms. Kathy Banson-Verrico, executive director of GIBA, said other suggestions the engineers made to GIBA have already been undertaken and that all drain pipes have been flushed. She said a full report will be provided to the board at the end of August.

While the north side of the island has a Municipal Service Benefit Unit, known as the Boca Grande Street and Drainage Unit, Lee County does not. The county’s Natural Resources Department, as well as the Lee County Department of Transportation, are in charge of planning, particularly during the traditional hurricane season.

While Southwest Florida Water Manage District representatives have been to the south end to see what problems might be fixed, the county had not recently looked at the flood prone areas located there. They rely on residents to continue to report blocked ditches, swales, canals and areas of local flooding.

Public streets in Boca Grande are maintained by Lee County’s DOT. To see if your road is maintained by Lee County DOT, go to leegis.leegov.com/RoadLookup/.

The county has a formal Request for Action process to improve water drainage along any Lee County road. Residents can call the “Request for Action Hotline” at (239) 533-9400 or visit the Lee County website, leegov.com/dot/requestforaction. The same contact information can be used for reporting any other blocked area, including downed trees and debris.