FT MYERS, Fla. — Many residents across Southwest Florida started their Sunday morning looking to see what a strong low-pressure system from the Gulf left behind after moving through overnight.
There were signs of standing water all over downtown Fort Myers just after the sun came up.
Along First Street to Centennial park, the remnants of 2 to 3 feet of storm surge had pooled past the seawall. Winds that had peaked at 44 miles per hour made it a rocky ride on Caloosahatchee River and drove the waves into the seawall, sometimes spilling over.
Nearby, warning signs alerted drivers to water that was too deep for most at First Street under the Caloosahatchee Bridge…Unless you had a semi, which still took things slow while driving thru the flood.
Heading north on First Street, another flooded section of roadway could be seen at the entrance to Calusa Harbor. Police also closed part of the Edison Bridge due to the flooding, and we saw plenty of storm drains working overtime.
Further south, along McGregor Boulevard, the river swelled over its banks at Whiskey Creek. Along with the storm surge, nearly 2 inches of rain fell on the Ft Myers area Sunday. But the docks and boat houses under water didn’t seem to bother a flock of ibises who took advantage of the high water before it receded with the tide.
