Bonita Springs, Estero prepare for hurricane season after Irma

A busy hurricane season is forecasted for 2018, and south Lee County is taking lessons learned from last year by preparing for the worst.

Bonita Springs’ widespread flooding before and after Hurricane Irma highlighted the city’s weakness to mass rainfall. 

Hurricane Irma's aftermath pushed Bonita Springs prioritize flood mitigation. The current City Council has named flood protection its number one goal.

More: Bonita Springs recovery costs less than expected

The city has taken steps to reduce flood risk. Debris from the Imperial River was cleared, and there are plans to do the same at Leitner Creek. Several canals, culverts and swales were freed of debris to help control storm water flow.

The most damaging floods in Bonita Springs happened when the Imperial River spilled its banks, something clear culverts alone could not stop, the city has pointed out.

Forcing inland marshes and swamps to store water is one way to stem major flooding, flood experts have told the city.

Water storage projects cost more than the city can spend, Bonita Springs officials have determined, so they are seeking outside federal and state government refunds and grants to help pay for such programs.

Storm water system cleanings will continue throughout the hurricane season that began June 1. The city said it also is staying active on all forms of media to keep the public informed of if and when a storm hits.

The city is on track to weather any storms, said Mayor Peter Simmons.

“Bonita Springs is looking great,” he said.

Estero’s flooding was largely hidden behind the walls of its gated communities.

Most of those private neighborhoods are designed with ponds or lakes to hold water. Backup designs call for the roads to flood during heavy rains to keep water out of homes.

Some communities only have one drain from their lakes to the village storm water network, and those pipes can clog, too.

Kyle Coleman, Estero assistant city manager, said the village has spoken with every gated community about the coming storm season.

“Where we are really focused this year is partnering with gated communities to get them prepared and providing our expertise,” Coleman said. “We want to make sure each has the resources it needs to make sure their (drainage) systems are working right.”

Both Bonita Springs and Estero are working with the Lee County Emergency Operations Center and other organizations to keep emergency evacuation routes and immediate response up-to-date.

The preparation might come in handy this year.

Hurricane forecasters for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are predicting an average to slightly above-average season with 10 to 16 named storms, five to nine of those storms becoming hurricanes, and one to four of those hurricanes becoming a Category 3 storm or higher.

Hurricane season stretches until the end of November. Peak season is usually from mid-August to late October, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Takeaways:

• City of Bonita Springs and village of Estero officials are trying to lower flood risk after their Hurricane Irma experience last year.
• Imperial River, local canals have been cleared of debris in Bonita.
• Culverts, storm water systems have been cleaned in Bonita.
• Gated communities in Estero have been encouraged to inspect their lakes, drainage.
• Storm experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)  have predicted slightly above-average 2018 hurricane this year.