Water damage restoration on Sanibel is shaped by Hurricane Ian. In September 2022 the storm sent Gulf surge across much of the island and broke the Sanibel Causeway. Many homes here are raised on pilings or stem walls, with living space above and a ground-level enclosure below for parking, storage and the entry.
Under FEMA flood rules, that enclosure below the flood elevation is meant to flood. It has flood vents and is limited to parking, storage and access. When surge comes through, the restoration crew clears and cleans the enclosure, removes any finished drywall or insulation added there, and checks the floor system above for wet framing. Salt water corrodes wiring, ductwork and AC equipment that sat below the line.
Upstairs, the leaks are the same as on the mainland: AC condensate overflows, washer hoses, water heaters and wind-driven rain through roofs and sliders. Sanibel is its own city, so repair permits come from the City of Sanibel, and its flood rules are strict about what can be built below the flood elevation.
Around Sanibel
Places nearby:
- 📍Periwinkle Way
- 📍Sanibel Lighthouse
- 📍J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge
- 📍Tarpon Bay
- 📍Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum
- 📍Sanibel Causeway
Water Restoration in Sanibel Local notes
- •Sanibel is its own city; permits come from the City of Sanibel, not Lee County.
- •Ground-level enclosures under raised homes are built to flood and must stay unfinished.
- •Hurricane Ian surge flooded much of the island and broke the causeway in 2022.
- •Salt water corrodes wiring and AC equipment that sat below the water line.