Hurricane Ian Recovery Update
December 23, 2022
STORM RECOVERY INFORMATION
Sanibel Causeway – Eliminating Requirement for Reentry Passes. By consensus, the Sanibel City Council supported the decision to end the requirement for reentry passes on January 2, 2023. The Police checkpoint that has been in place since the causeway reopened to traffic will be deactivated early that morning. However, the City’s curfew will remain in effect between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am daily and the Police checkpoint will be in place during the curfew hours.
The City of Sanibel asks that non-residents respect and understand the fact that Sanibel is still actively working to recover from Hurricane Ian. While the requirement for reentry passes will no longer be necessary on January 2, 2023, we are discouraging visitors at this time and look forward to welcoming back visitors later in our recovery.
Please note the following:
- Beaches and beach parks, including the Sanibel Lighthouse, remain closed – Sanibel is not open to beach visitors and the Mayoral Proclamation, extending Sanibel’s State of Emergency, prohibits non-residents from being on the beach.
- Fishing Pier and Boat Ramp are closed.
- The City’s shared use path (bike path) still has stacked debris waiting for pickup in many places. Nails from debris, that could cause flat tires may exist on the bike path and the City is discouraging people from using it.
- Debris collection from individual lots and the City’s rights-of-way is still ongoing. Trucks collecting debris will interrupt traffic flow at times and may cause travel delays.
- Most businesses are closed.
- There is nothing to see or do – yet.
- Residents/contractors with reentry passes should continue displaying their reentry passes at all times on their vehicle’s dashboard to assist Police.
- During the hours the curfew is in place, vehicles with the following credentials will be allowed through the island checkpoint:
- Sanibel and Captiva residents with a resident reentry pass and a valid driver’s license. The name on the driver’s license must match the name of the person that the reentry pass was issued to.
- Guests of Sanibel and Captiva resorts with a printed reservation confirmation where the name on the reservation matches the name on the person’s driver’s license.
- People driving on Sanibel Island between the hours of 9 pm and 6 am should expect to be stopped by Police patrols to verify residency or resort guest status. All persons leaving the island after 9 pm should expect to be stopped by Police at the causeway checkpoint.
- Residents and business owners who observe any suspicious activity at any time on the island, should report this activity to the Sanibel Police Department immediately by calling 911.
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