Fort Myers Beach Lost 90% of Its Buildings. Three Years Later, It Wants You Back

The Gulf Town Refuses to Disappear

Fort Myers Beach was nearly erased on September 28, 2022.

Hurricane Ian’s 12-foot storm surge swallowed the barrier island whole, killing 72 people in Lee County and flattening neighborhoods that had stood for generations. The pier vanished.

Times Square went dark. Locals who survived found their homes scattered in pieces for blocks.

More than three years later, this stubborn little beach town is open again, with half its hotels back, favorite restaurants serving fresh grouper, and a brand-new pier on the way. The sunsets never left.

Neither did the people who refuse to let Ian win.

Ian Hit at 150 MPH

Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa on September 28, 2022, as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds. Fort Myers Beach, a seven-mile barrier island just to the south, took the full blow.

The storm surge reached 12 feet, pushing Gulf water three miles inland and submerging entire neighborhoods. Across Florida, 149 people died as a direct result of Ian.

Lee County, which includes Fort Myers Beach, lost 72 residents, most of them to drowning. The storm caused $112 billion in damage statewide, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida history.

Ninety Percent of Buildings Destroyed

The numbers were staggering. About 90% of structures on Fort Myers Beach were damaged or destroyed.

Beach cottages that had survived decades of storms were reduced to splintered wood. Condos along Estero Boulevard collapsed.

The surge lifted homes off their foundations and deposited them blocks away.

In the days after the storm, search and rescue teams went door to door through rubble, finding survivors in attics and, too often, bodies in bedrooms. The island looked like a war zone.

Aerial photos showed entire blocks simply gone.

The Beloved Pier Vanished Overnight

The Fort Myers Beach Pier had stood since 1991, stretching 560 feet into the Gulf. Locals fished from it at dawn.

Tourists watched sunsets from the end. It was the heart of Times Square, the island’s main entertainment district.

Ian’s surge ripped it away completely, leaving only concrete pilings jutting from the water. For many residents, losing the pier felt like losing a family member.

It had been the backdrop for proposals, graduations, and thousands of vacation photos. Now it was just a gap in the skyline.

Rebuilding Meant Fighting for Everything

Recovery was brutal. Homeowners and business owners faced insurance battles that dragged on for months, sometimes years.

FEMA regulations required elevating new construction, adding costs many couldn’t afford. Permits stacked up in backlogs.

Workers were hard to find. Some owners gave up and sold to developers.

Others drained savings and took on debt to rebuild.

The small inns and mom-and-pop motels that once lined the beach largely disappeared, replaced by larger developments that could absorb the costs. Those who stayed did so out of stubbornness and love.

Helene and Milton Made It Worse

Just as Fort Myers Beach was finding its footing, hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through in 2024. Businesses that had just reopened were forced to gut interiors and start over.

Brian Thompson, owner of Yo! Taco, had rebuilt as a mobile truck after Ian, only to lose everything again.

He rebuilt a third time in a concrete stall under the Lani Kai Island Resort. Melody King, a dinner cruise captain, lost her job when Milton destroyed her boat.

The back-to-back storms tested even the most determined locals, but most refused to leave.

Margaritaville Changed the Skyline

In December 2023, the 254-room Margaritaville Beach Resort opened on Fort Myers Beach, marking a turning point in the recovery. The resort brought restaurants, bars, a spa, and a lagoon-style pool to the beachfront.

It was the first major new hotel since the storm and a signal that investors still believed in the island.

The property quickly became a gathering spot, hosting live music and drawing crowds who hadn’t visited since before Ian. For a town desperate for good news, Margaritaville delivered.

Half the Hotel Rooms Are Back

By early 2025, about 50% of Fort Myers Beach’s hotel rooms had reopened. The Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina returned with 195 rooms.

DiamondHead Beach Resort and the Lani Kai Island Resort welcomed guests again.

The Best Western Plus, which was mid-renovation when Ian hit, finally reopened in early 2025 with 74 rooms.

Sanibel, the neighboring island, lagged behind at just 20% capacity, making Fort Myers Beach the more accessible option for visitors wanting to support Southwest Florida’s recovery.

The Restaurants Came Back Fighting

Food was always part of Fort Myers Beach’s identity, and the restaurants came back swinging. Doc Ford’s Rum Bar & Grille reopened with its fish tacos and waterfront deck.

Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant, Dixie Fish Co. , Parrot Key Caribbean Grill, and Petey’s Upper Deck all returned.

Newer spots joined them. Marina Cantina opened on San Carlos Island and packed in 282 people on its first Green Bay game day.

In a two-week stretch in late 2025, four new restaurants opened near Times Square. The dining scene isn’t what it was, but it’s alive.

Times Square Has a Pulse Again

Times Square, the beachfront district at the heart of Fort Myers Beach, lost many of its storefronts to Ian. The area is still rebuilding, but life has returned.

The Bayside Park Concert Series brings free live music every Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m. , drawing locals and tourists to the waterfront. New shops have opened at Santini Marina Plaza.

Food trucks fill gaps where buildings once stood. The vibe is different now, quieter in some ways, more resilient in others.

Visitors walking the strip can feel both what was lost and what’s coming back.

The New Pier Will Be Massive

A new Fort Myers Beach Pier is finally on the way, and it will dwarf the original. The replacement will stretch 1,000 feet long and 12 feet wide, about 70% longer and 50% wider than the old pier.

It will include shade structures, fish cleaning stations, ADA access, and turtle-friendly lighting.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2026, funded by FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, with completion targeted for 2027. Local business owners say the pier will bring visitors back in droves.

Until then, the sunsets are still free.

2026 Bookings Look Strong

The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce reports that vacation rentals and hotel rooms are booking well for February and March 2026.

Spring breakers from Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Michigan, and Stetson have already returned. Events like the Sand Sculpting Championship, which kicks off each November, continue to draw crowds.

The beach itself, with its sugar-white sand and warm Gulf water, never went anywhere. What changed is the infrastructure around it, and that’s steadily returning.

Fort Myers Beach Still Needs You

Fort Myers Beach is open. The beaches at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, Bowditch Point Park, and Crescent Beach Family Park are all welcoming visitors. Hotels are taking reservations.

Restaurants are serving fresh Gulf shrimp. But the town isn’t fully recovered. Half the hotel rooms are still gone. Times Square is still rebuilding.

Small businesses are hanging on. Every tourist dollar helps a local family that chose to stay and rebuild rather than walk away.

The sunsets are spectacular. The people are grateful. And the beach town that refused to die would love to see you.

Visit Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Fort Myers Beach sits on Estero Island, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Fort Myers.

Lynn Hall Memorial Park offers the easiest beach access near Times Square, with parking available for $3 per hour through the ParkMobile app.

Bowditch Point Park at the island’s north end is quieter and great for sunset views. Most beaches are open daily from sunrise to sunset.

The Margaritaville Beach Resort offers day passes to its Fins Up Beach Club if you want pool access without a hotel stay. Free concerts at Bayside Park run Sundays through early summer.

Check beach conditions at the official Visit Fort Myers site before you go, as water quality advisories occasionally pop up.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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