provided to The Santiva Chronicle
In January and February of this year, SanCap Resilience conducted its second community survey. The first was conducted in May and June of 2024 just months before the islands were impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Several in the community felt it was important that a follow-up survey be conducted to understand the current state of recovery, as well as the current needs and concerns of the community.
With the support of its partner organizations, the group was able to achieve a high level of engagement with the survey. Over 1,000 people completed the questionnaire. In this survey, in addition to feedback from residents, sections were added for owners/managers of businesses and nonprofits on the islands, as well as for employees who work but don’t live on the islands. Those two groups were not represented in the first SanCap Resilience survey but are important parts of the community.
Survey results are now available to the community on the SanCap Resilience website here.
The report is a summary of the community responses. The Executive Summary highlights the most important findings of the survey. The remainder of the report charts responses for each question in the survey. Also included in the Appendix are all the individual written comments made by respondents.
The survey makes clear that the islands were seriously impacted by hurricanes Helene and Milton even as many people were still recovering from Hurricane Ian. Yet the vast majority of respondents remain optimistic about meeting the challenge of building island resilience. Many homes and businesses have been elevated, strengthened, repaired with flood resilient materials, or cleared of ground-level appliances or equipment.
However, respondents recognize that much work remains to be done. They have only moderate confidence that their current preparations will protect them in future storms. They seek practical information on better ways to protect their homes and yards, and find competent contractors.
According to SanCap Resilience Chair, Bob Moore, “In the time since the 2024 storms, the community has demonstrated extraordinary resilience. As the reader will see in this survey, while many on the islands naturally have doubts about the future, most remain committed to this place and this community. Individuals, businesses and the community as a whole have made significant efforts to prepare for the future and protect their properties against future storms. There is also a high level of interest in addressing the environmental causes of the increases in extreme weather and a remarkable alignment on the goal of making Sanibel and Captiva a model of coastal resilience.” To learn more about SanCap Resilience, visit sancapresilience.org.