COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Hurricane Ian has much of southwest Florida reevaluating what can be done to reduce the risk of flooding from a storm surge. Collier County is partnering with the US Army Corps of Engineers in a coastal community study.
The goal is to build more resilient areas whether through infrastructure, natural resources, or other solutions.
"It's a big deal for us," said Perry Desiato, the president of Tarpon Cover in Naples. "What they’re going to do to resolve it is important to us. How they’re going to do it is even a bigger deal."
The study is looking at several areas including Wiggins Pass, Clam Pass State Park, Naples Beach, Upper Gordon River, Doctor's Pass, and Marco Island.
It's been in the works since 2018 but was halted due to time, money, and community concerns. The original plan with potential solutions is scrapped, so it's back to the drawing board.
"We’re only a mile and a half from the coastline there and Wiggins Pass itself directly affected us," Desiato said.
Aside from natural resources as a resiliency measure, project manager Abbey Preddy says elevation could be another option.
"A way to protect the community and to protect people is to potentially elevate their homes," Preddy explained.
Desiato said he wants to see more of the natural resources than anything.
"More rip rap put down at the end to build up the mangroves down at the end to slow it down, the water entry," he explained. "As long as they’re natural in look and they don’t really dispute the appearance of the area, we’re all for it."
For some perspective on storm surge in Collier County after Ian, part of Naples saw a little more than eight feet in storm surge, while Marco Island, specifically Tiger Tail Beach, got close to 7.5 feet.
"All of our communities around us took floods," Desiato said.
Anything is on the table now as the study is still getting information from their own research, plus the community at meetings like that one held on Wednesday night.
"It all means something to us, so the faster we can fix this, the better off we’re going to be," Desiato said.
Once the study is done and a final draft is complete in August 2025, it will go to Congress.
They can either reject it or approve the plan. However, the money to put those storm risk solutions in place will have to come from the federal government.
