Long and Short Term Solutions for Caloosahatchee Flooding in Fort Myers

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Can you imagine a wall along parts of the Caloosahatchee in Fort Myers?

The city is investigating it to prevent flooding.

Long and Short Term Solutions for Caloosahatchee Flooding in Fort Myers

A Dean Park resident says he has to build it even though his family is still moving out of the area.

“I don’t know how reasonable it is to think you can build a wall that will protect everyone,” said David Black, who lives in Dean Park.

Black’s home is in historic Dean Park and he says it had original floors and moldings. However, because the house suffered so much storm damage, he and his wife now have to live in a trailer.

“Our resources have been sapped by these three hurricanes, and we simply don’t have any resources left to spend on rebuilding,” Black said.

He says he wants the city to build the seawall higher, but it’s a little too late for his family.

“You might be able to protect one area and then the water will be diverted to another area,” Black says. He continues to say that he is not an engineer, but how much time it will take to build the wall and depending on where it will be located, he does not see how this will be beneficial for his family.

During Monday’s workshop, City Manager Marty Lawing and the council discussed short- and long-term flood solutions.

They say the seawall expansion was part of a hazard mitigation grant the city applied for, following Ian’s lead.

Lawing says the application is under review with FEMA and is one of three projects totaling more than $30 million.

He went on to discuss where the potential wall could be located first. “The first strategy would basically be First Street, from Fowler Street to south of the Edison, Florida Estates.”

This discussion is preliminary and residents in this neighborhood are not hopeful.

The long-term solution could be a ten-year project with its own challenges.

“It would be a lengthy design process, a lengthy permitting process and environmental studies,” Lawing says.

Lawing says the short term should help downtown businesses before the next hurricane season.

“Any business could have a barrier designed and installed specifically for their building to prevent storm surge from entering their buildings,” says Lawing.

If your neighborhood is experiencing flooding, whether it’s your home or business, the city council welcomes you to be part of the discussion.

The next council meeting is Monday, November 4.