February 28th, 2023 is a date to remember in the recovery of Sanibel Island. Exactly 5 months after Hurricane Ian came ashore, the Sanibel Lighthouse was relit this morning at 6:30 AM.
City of Sanibel officials held a very moving ceremony with speeches by City Manager Dana Souza and Mayor Holly Smith. Mayor Smith led the spectators in a countdown and the U.S. Coast guard representative flipped the switch.
Even though Manager Souza warned us the light would take a few seconds to start flashing, we all held our breath and a rousing cheer went up once the lighthouse illuminated.
The historic lighthouse was damaged by Hurricane Ian on September 28, 2022, and has not been operable since the storm.
Hurricane Ian broke away one of the lighthouse’s legs as well as washed the two lighthouse keepers’ cottages out to the Gulf. The City’s contractors have replaced the leg with a temporary wooden support.
The wooden temporary lighthouse leg.
Surprisingly the leg that broke away was found buried under the sand. The plans are to repair and replace the missing leg.
Electrical repairs were completed this month and the U.S. Coast Guard has replaced the light with an LED fixture.
The Sanibel Light Station began operation in 1884. It is a beloved symbol of the island and a hugely popular photo spot for vacationers. Check out this video we made about the history of the lighthouse.
During the hurricane, rumors swirled that the lighthouse itself had been washed into the Gulf. We were devastated (along with Sanibel lovers across the world) when we heard the news. Then, we were jumping with joy when the rumor turned out to be false.
Troy Thomspon from the Lazy Flamingo Restaurant, Max & Nick
The Sanibel Lighthouse parking lot was open only for the relighting ceremony.
After the ceremony, the parking lot will be closed to the public until further notice as the City has not completed all the repairs to the lighthouse site.
Stay tuned and subscribe to our email list to keep up to date.
We LOVE showing you the REBUILDING of the Islands & can’t wait to WELCOME you back!
-Nick, Lori & Max
Shine on Sanibel!
