MILTON TIMELINE
Day by day Hurricane Milton recovery on Gasparilla
Hurricane Milton was the third hurricane landfall in Florida this year after Debby and then Helene less than two weeks prior. Below is an approximate timeline of Milton’s impacts on Gasparilla Island throughout the week, gathered from Beacon reporting, local weather stations and Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association alerts.
Sunday, Oct. 6: Churches held normal services. By mid-day, Gasparilla Island was rainy, and the few open businesses began closing as Milton preparations began. Charlotte County Emergency Management advised residents to finalize their evacuation plans. Note: this rain was not from Milton, but a “rainmaker” storm that rolled through ahead of the hurricane.
Monday, Oct. 7: The Gasparilla Island Water Association prepared to shut down the water and sewer system. The Boca Grande Health Clinic closed at noon. Charlotte County Emergency Management issued evacuation orders for residents in the Red and Orange zones, also known as Zones A and B.
Tuesday, Oct. 8: Lee County and Charlotte County asked for evacuations on coastal and island zones. The Island School announced a closure through Friday, Oct. 11. GIWA shut down water to the island. Hurricane Milton peaked at a Category 5 in the Gulf of Mexico.
Wednesday, Oct. 9: The Boca Grande Fire Department left the island. GIWA announced a precautionary boil water notice. The first bands of the storm began to move through the area around 1 p.m. Throughout the day tornado warnings were issued for much of South Florida, including Lee and Charlotte counties. Flood advisory was issued for Collier County. Around 8:40 p.m. Milton made landfall on Siesta Key in Sarasota County as a Category 3 with winds of 120 mph.
Thursday, Oct. 10: Over three million people were without power across Florida. It was estimated that Boca Grande had about two feet more water than during Helene. Gasparilla Road was impassible due to water and four to five feet of sand. Access to the island was closed and Lee County Department of Transportation began working to remove sand. The GIWA main waterline on Cole Island was washed out and broken into pieces.
Several propane tanks were ripped out of the ground and were leaking, and there were generator fires.
Friday, Oct. 11: Gasparilla Road was passable, but many other roads on island were not.
Florida Power and Light had a few trucks on island to inspect damage, and cellular service came back on island. Fire trucks returned to the island.
An engineer visited island to assess repairs; bridges were determined to be safe. Sheriff Carmine Marceno comes to island for report with CBS News; report on island airs on CBS Evening News. Construction companies and vendors access island by boat.
Saturday: Oct. 12: By midday Boca Grande residents with hurricane tags were able to access the island and the bridge reopened. The island remained without water or sewage. Many side streets remained impassable.
Sunday, Oct. 13: Lee County announced that beginning at noon on Monday, contractors would be able to access Boca Grande with some form of identification.
Monday, Oct. 14: Barnichol Hardware was open, and hundreds of trucks and repair teams began to access the island.
Tuesday, Oct. 15: PVC pipes arrived from Ferguson to begin the repair to the main Gasparilla Island Water Authority substation.
Wednesday, Oct. 16: The Island School announced temporary move to Fellowship Church. Main water trunk lines partially restored. Power restored to much of island by FPL.
