Sand pile cleanup continues across Gasparilla Island in Boca Grande
It was just like a kids’ sandbox today on Gasparilla Island.
Crews from Lee County came to the island today to begin the removal of sand from across Gasparilla Island, including on Gilchrist Avenue, and on Gasparilla Road.
Saturday, the crews were on Gilchrist and other locations, down to a sandpile on Wheeler Road. There were some worries from residents that it could be trucked off island, when it is needed here, but the trucks all were headed south. In past storms, sand had been trucked off, to massive head scratching.
Lee County crews were mobilized from Fort Myers for the cleanup. The smaller equipment at first did not do the work, and they brought a John Deere 544 bulldozer and at least four dump trucks. The trucks were circling downtown all day on their runs back and forth.
Giant sand piles were also on 5th Street, in the parking lot by the Veterans monument.
The water came through many of the numbered streets in town. In places on Gilchrist, the sand was almost a yard deep, on mound ridges that built up at each of the intersections.
Staff here from Lee County said they would have equipment here until the work was finished.
