Southwest Florida's hurricane record and its local roofing association

Cayo Costa, twice: Charley in 2004 and Ian in 2022

Hurricane Charley made landfall near Cayo Costa, just north of Captiva, around 1945 UTC on August 13, 2004 with maximum sustained winds near 130 kt. NHC notes that the eye had shrunk sharply in the preceding 12 hours, which kept the most extreme winds within about 6 n mi of the center, and that a tide gauge in Estero Bay near Horseshoe Key measured a 4.2 ft surge.

Eighteen years later, Ian came ashore on the barrier island of Cayo Costa at 1905 UTC on September 28, 2022 at 130 kt, then made a second landfall near Punta Gorda an hour and a half later at 125 kt. The same report puts peak inundation at 10 to 15 ft above ground on Fort Myers Beach and Estero Island, 9 to 13 ft on eastern Sanibel, and 6 to 9 ft on Pine Island, in Cape Coral and along the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River. NHC calls Ian the costliest hurricane in Florida's history, at over $112 billion in damage.

NOAA's Storm Events Database adds local wind readings: a 140 mph gust at the Cape Coral yacht club in Lee County and a 111 mph gust near Grove City in Charlotte County.

Collier County's two: Wilma in 2005 and Irma in 2017

Wilma's center crossed the coast near Cape Romano around 1030 UTC on October 24, 2005 at 105 kt, a category 3 hurricane, with a storm surge of 4 to 8 ft reported along coastal Collier County.

Irma made its final landfall near Marco Island at 1930 UTC on September 10, 2017 with estimated winds of 100 kt; a weather spotter on Marco Island recorded 97 kt sustained with a gust of 112 kt. Irma's effects reached well beyond Collier County. In Lee County its rain pushed the Imperial River into hundreds of homes around Bonita Springs, and in Charlotte County emergency managers reported sea walls collapsing when water drained out of Charlotte Harbor during the negative surge ahead of the storm.

Tornadoes between the hurricanes

Roof damage here does not only come from named storms. NOAA's Storm Events Database records 17 tornadoes in Lee County, 13 in Charlotte County and 9 in Collier County from 2016 through 2025. The January 2022 Iona tornado in Lee County reached an estimated 118 mph and damaged over 200 residences across three mobile home communities, and a February 2016 tornado in Charlotte Harbor affected 108 homes, most of the damage to roofs and pool cages.

Federal disaster declarations

FEMA's major disaster declarations for Irma (DR-4337), Ian (DR-4673), Helene (DR-4828) and Milton (DR-4834) each included Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. The National Roofing Directory's Florida storm center tracks the current season.

Finding and vetting a roofer in Southwest Florida

FRSA's affiliate council page lists the Southwest Florida Roofing Contractors Association with a Fort Myers mailing address and membership meetings three times a year, in January, May and October. To see which FRSA contractor members work locally, search FRSA's member directory by Lee, Collier or Charlotte county.

Then check the license. DBPR's licensee search looks up roofers by city or county as well as by name. If a crew from outside the area knocks on your door after a storm, remember DBPR's rule that roofing work cannot be subcontracted to unlicensed roofers: the people on your roof must be employees of the licensed contractor or leased through a licensed employee leasing company.

You can compare roofers listed in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples and Punta Gorda on the National Roofing Directory.

Frequently asked questions

Which hurricanes have made landfall near Fort Myers?

Charley in 2004 and Ian in 2022 both came ashore on Cayo Costa, according to NHC's reports on Charley and Ian. Farther south, Wilma (2005) and Irma (2017) made landfall in Collier County near Cape Romano and Marco Island.

Is there a local FRSA group in Southwest Florida?

Yes. FRSA's affiliate list includes the Southwest Florida Roofing Contractors Association, which gives a Fort Myers mailing address.

Can a crew from out of town work on my roof after a hurricane?

Only as part of a properly licensed operation. DBPR says roofing work cannot be subcontracted to unlicensed roofers, and a registered roofing contractor may only work in the jurisdictions where it met local requirements. The National Roofing Directory's Florida licensing page explains the state rules.

Did FEMA declare a disaster for these counties after Ian?

Yes. The Ian declaration, DR-4673, included Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.