Sanibel Island

Trucks will begin hauling sand to northwest Sanibel on Monday to replace sand lost to erosion due to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole last year.

In the months after Hurricane Ian made landfall, residents in Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island, and Sanibel, Florida have struggled to navigate insurance claims, building permits, and government aid as they rebuild their lives.

Florida’s barrier islands have always been worth the risk to the hundreds of thousands of people living on them. After Hurricane Ian, will Southwest Florida’s islands ever be the same?

A new data analysis shows that population is surging on Florida’s barrier islands despite rising seas and worsening storms. Florida politics and policies continue to champion the growth.

Why do people defy evacuation orders? The answers involve the psychology of risk. Hurricane Ian’s destruction may help change Floridians’ propensity to ride out hurricanes.

Nearly every building on the barrier island in Southwest Florida was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Ian's 15-foot storm surge. It's left the town with almost a clean slate for redevelopment.

A consortium of businesses and nonprofit wants to spark conversations on how to rebuild the barrier islands so structures and people can become more resilient for future storms.

Some shops and restaurants have cleaned up and reopened, but others along the beaches will take longer to rebuild and open again.

All species of sea turtles are threatened or endangered and protected by Florida law and the federal Endangered Species Act.

A memento in the shape of a inscribed memorial rock, brought to Sanibel Island and thought to have been tossed away by Ian, instead found its way back to the family of the person memorialized.

Two days ahead of the expected finish date, repairs on the Sanibel Causeway, broken in multiple places three weeks ago by Hurricane Ian, are completed enough to allow residents and island businesses access.

With Sanibel’s causeway bridge still out of commission from damage during Hurricane Ian, many islanders in Southwest Florida scrambled to secure transport by boat this weekend, the first time they were allowed home.