Storm Surge/Tide — Coastal Collier County, Florida

2022-09-28 to 2022-09-29 · Coastal Collier County, Florida

Event narrative

Significant to major storm surge flooding covered almost all of Collier County south and west of Tamiami Trail from Everglades City to the Lee County line. Major storm surge flooding was noted within a mile of the Gulf coast, both at the beachfront and the Intracoastal Waterways. Farther inland, significant to major storm surge occurred south and west of Naples Municipal Airport along the Gordon River and Rock Creek, as well as along the Cocohatchee River and Palm River areas.

Surveyed storm tide inundation depths are as follows across portions of the area above mean higher high water (MHHW) except where specifically noted:

Collier County Beaches: 10-11 ft on northern end of county/Barefoot Beach to 7-9 ft south end near Gordon Pass and up to Naples Pier. Vanderbilt Beach to Wiggins Pass State Park: 8-10 ft.

Palm River Estates: 6-8 ft.

Naples Bay: 4-7 ft in Tin City and Cove Inn areas. Similar values likely occurred on the east side of Naples Bay in the Royal Harbor area.

Naples Airport/Rock Creek/Baker Park: 4-6 ft. About 2-3 ft above ground level (AGL) on Tamiami Trail based on pictures near Bayshore Drive intersection, and this amount of inundation likely occurred in East Naples from Tamiami Trail north to Davis Blvd to Rock Creek.

Naples/River Park/Central Avenue: 3-4 ft AGL.

Marco Island: maximum 7 ft, about 2-4 ft AGL in lower elevation areas on the island.

Goodland: 4 ft AGL, probably 7 ft MHHW reference to Goodland Bay.

Everglades City: 2-4 feet AGL common across the town. Storm surge made it as far inland as Tamiami Trail from Ochopee to SR 92.

Chokoloskee: 2 ft AGL at Outdoor Resorts Hotel property next to marina. Up to 6 ft MHHW.

At least 8 deaths in Collier County were attributed to the storm. Three (3) deaths in Naples were directly caused by storm surge drowning. An additional 5 people died from indirect causes, 2 from heart attacks, 1 from a fall while evacuating, and 2 unknown.

Total damage caused by the storm surge is included in the Hurricane entry for Coastal Collier County.

Wider weather episode

A tropical depression formed in the central Caribbean Sea on September 23rd, then was upgraded to Tropical Storm Ian at 11 PM on September 23rd. Ian moved westward, then turned northwest on September 25th, passing just west of Jamaica and near the Cayman Islands. Ian became a hurricane on Monday, September 26th south of western Cuba, then moved north and made landfall in Pinar Del Rio Province, Cuba early on Tuesday, September 27th as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph.

Ian moved into the SE Gulf of Mexico around midday on Tuesday, September 27th, then moved over Dry Tortugas as a Category 3 hurricane later that evening. Ian strengthened over the SE Gulf of Mexico as it approached Southwest Florida, becoming a Category 4 hurricane at 7 AM on Wednesday, September 28th with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph and a lowest central pressure of 936 mb. Ian moved N-NE and made landfall in Cayo Costa west of Fort Myers at 3:05 PM on Wednesday, September 28th with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and minimum central pressure of 940 mb.

Ian moved NE across the central Florida peninsula during the evening and night of Wednesday, September 28th, finally being downgraded to a tropical storm about 20 miles west of Melbourne at 5 AM Thursday, September 29th. Ian moved off the east coast of Florida just north of Cape Canaveral during the mid-morning hours of Thursday, September 29th.

Ian produced a catastrophic storm surge across coastal sections of SW Florida on Wednesday, September 28th. Storm surge from surveys was estimated in the 8-11 ft range above MHHW along the Gulf beaches from Naples north to Barefoot Beach, and extending inland about 1 mile. Storm surge of 4-7 ft above MHHW was surveyed in the Naples Bay area and extending north to the Naples Airport area, as well as in North Naples near the Cocohatchee River. Farther south and east along the coast, storm surge values were estimated at 5-7 feet above MHHW in Marco Island and Goodland, and 4-6 ft MHHW in Everglades City and Chokoloskee.

Wind gusts as high as 110 mph were measured in the Naples area at heights well above the standard surface elevation of 33 feet. Sustained winds in the 70-75 mph range likely occurred in NW Collier County as well as far western sections of Hendry and Glades counties. Elsewhere across South Florida, peak winds were generally in the 45-70 mph range.

A total of 13 reported tornadoes were spawned by Ian on Tuesday, September 27th and early on Wednesday, September 28th as it was approaching the SW Florida coast, the strongest being an EF-2 in the Delray Beach area of Palm Beach County.

Storm total rainfall amounts from 8 AM on September 26th to 8 AM on September 29th ranged from 4 to 10 inches across southern Florida. The highest rainfall amounts occurred in the day or two leading up to the storm's landfall, with highest values over western metro Broward County in the 8-10 inch range, as well as in parts of the city of Miami.

All of the associated effects of Ian in southern Florida resulted in 10 fatalities, at least 2 injuries, $2.2 billion in property damage, and at least $500,000 in crop damage. The vast majority of the damage was likely caused by the significant to major storm surge in Collier County. Of the 10 deaths, 2 were directly caused by the storm surge in Collier County, and the remaining 8 were indirectly caused by the storm during evacuation, preparation, and clean-up activities. The 13 associated tornadoes resulted in 2 injuries an estimated $2.5 million in property damage.

Six people were injured at South Pointe Pier Park on Miami Beach on September 30th by large waves caused by swells from the back side of Ian.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1058305. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.