Lee County steps in with $1.4M to slow, repair Sanibel beach erosion

Lee County commissioners on Tuesday [Jan. 21st] agreed to put up nearly $1.4 million for emergency work to stop erosion that plagues a 1,000-foot strip of beachfront south of Blind Pass on Sanibel Island.

Sanibel city officials hired a coastal engineer last May and the city council declared a state of emergency in December to start work to stave off erosion and repair the damage that has been done.

The city formally asked for help from the county to preserve the popular yet fragile part of famed Sanibel beaches. The commission vote on the request was unanimous.

Extensive erosion of the area has been reported since Hurricane Michael, a fierce storm that produced heavy surf on the barrier islands as it made its way north through the Gulf of Mexico in October 2018.