Fort Myers Beach stops issuing flood panel permits in compliance with FEMA

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. —

The Town of Fort Myers Beach ceased issuing permits for flood panels to comply with Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations, prioritizing safety and preventing potential damage to homes.

Steve Johnson, a resident of Fort Myers Beach, shared his experience during Hurricane Ian, saying, "We know our house itself had water coming in, but the pressure was still so great that it was able to push in a three-panel window in the front of the home."

Johnson expressed relief at not having installed flood panels, fearing they could have caused more damage.

"You can imagine if that was actually completely boarded up, I imagine it's a possibility that we'd lose the entire wall of the home," he said.

Fort Myers Beach Town Manager Will McKannay said, "If the water surge is at a point where the water goes over those barriers, it can become a life, health, safety issue for anybody who's inside the home. The water pressure can become so great against those flood panels or anything that's attached to the foundation, or the structure of the home. It could cause the home to come off the foundation and become debris."

The town is addressing past permits that were improperly issued and encourages residents to reach out for compliance solutions.

McKannay said, "There were some violations issued when FEMA was here for their visit. We've put those violations on hold, and I won't be issuing any violations going forward for this. I want the people to come forward and talk to us about finding a way into compliance. My goal is not to issue violations. We're not going to collect and money off fines."

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