On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida. While there was some damage here on Anna Maria Island, we were fortunate enough to avoid the damage the storm caused in other places.

The Storm

Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties, all located immediately south of Anna Maria Island, experienced major damage from the storm. Hurricane Ian was a Category 4 storm. While Southwest Florida has experienced storms with stronger winds, Ian had characteristics that made it especially dangerous. The path of approach and slow movement of the storm combined with the sheer size of the storm to create a huge amount of damage.

Popular tourist destinations like Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and Fort Myers Beach were devastated by the sustained winds and storm surge. The cities of Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Punta Gorda all experienced storm surge damage that some reporters called “epic”.

Anna Maria Island

On September 26, Manatee County ordered the mandatory evacuation of the cities of Holmes Beach, Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach. At that point, the storm was projected to land right in our area. Residents and businesses boarded up and prepared for the storm’s arrival.

As mentioned earlier, the storm changed course and made landfall further south. While our island did experience some damage, it was manageable. Power and water services were interrupted. There was damage to trees and some structures. Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy said he wasn’t aware of any significant structural damage that occurred within the city, other than one home having its front door blown off.

Within days, all services were restored on the island.

One thing Anna Maria residents were concerned about was the City Pier. The pier, a popular spot for fishermen and tourists, was damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and had to be rebuilt. Murphy said “Our new pier held up fine. There’s no structural damage at all. It was built right.”

Serendipity Homes

Our luxury vacation homes did well in the storms. A couple of the properties experienced minimal damage, and everything was quickly repaired.

That means you can book your next beach vacation without worry. Our homes are at 100% and the Anna Maria Island business community is geared up to make your trip a memorable one. If you have specific questions or concerns, our local experts would love the opportunity to address them for you. Just contact us, and we can help you plan a trip that you and your family will love.