FL

Storm restoration across Collier County

Collier County sits on Florida's southwest Gulf Coast and is among the state's most hurricane-exposed counties. The low-lying coastline - including Naples, Marco Island, and the Ten Thousand Islands area - is extremely vulnerable to Gulf-driven storm surge; Hurricane Ian (2022) produced surges of 6-9 feet in Naples and nearly 7.5 feet on Marco Island, destroying the Naples Pier gauge before it could record the full peak, while Hurricane Irma (2017) pushed 8 feet of surge into Chokoloskee and 6 feet into Everglades City. Inland areas including Golden Gate Estates experience Category 2-3 sustained winds during major landfalls and prolonged rainfall flooding; Irma generated over 30,000 insurance claims and $320 million in unincorporated-county damage alone. Hurricane Wilma (2005) added a third benchmark landfall with Category 3 winds and 7-foot surge near Marco Island, confirming that Collier County faces repeated, severe landfalling storms roughly every 5-15 years.