Twice in a span of less than two weeks, storm surge overflowed mud and muck from the bottom of Matlacha Pass Aquatic Preserve onto Matlacha island, which is less than a quarter of a square mile and connects Pine Island to the mainland via Pine Island Road.

Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26 flooded businesses.

Hurricane Milton did so again Oct. 9, with what several business owners reported to be deeper storm surge than the 4 to 5 feet Hurricane Ian created Sept. 28, 2022.

Downed power poles lined the road, and the stench of muck permeated the air of the historic fishing village, a designation that was created by Lee County government in November 1990, records show. It mandates future construction to match the height and construction materials of existing homes and businesses, many of which are a century old, constructed of wood and go against federal government and county building codes because of the current flood plain map.

No construction or reconstruction of designated historic buildings can happen without receiving a county Certificate of Appropriateness requiring federal approvals from the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, according to the Matlacha’s historic designation’s founding document.

Onofrio Demattia questioned how that historical designation can last after the onslaught of three powerful storms in two years. Demattia, owner of a 300-square-foot, wood-frame jewelry store called Onofrio D Oro Fine Jewelry Boutique, wiped a few tears from his eyes as he stood in the muck lining the floor, wondering where to even begin trying to clean it.

“Milton was up a little bit higher than Ian,” Demattia said of the surge. “Milton was worse than Ian.”

Demattia paid $345,000 for the building March 2021, a year and a half before Ian struck. Inside, he made high-end jewelry he sells both at the store and on luxury cruises, including the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. He removed valuables from the property in advance of the storm, but many of his tools were ruined.

In October 2016, Demattia paid $350,000 for what is now a vacant lot across the street. He still has the blueprints for what could be a 2,500-square-foot, two-story, concrete-block new store that would have artist classrooms on the second floor. Demattia said he was told he could not build it because of Matlacha Historic District rules.

“I am very down,” Demattia said. “It’s hard to talk about. It’s emotional. You can’t save this.”

Demattia motioned at the mud-caked floor and the caved-in ceiling of his shop.

Real estate agent Chardayne Seuffert of RE/MAX Sunshine could empathize. She works out of a concrete-block building a few doors down, but even that took damage, with part of the roof caving in from a fallen transformer box. Also, diesel fuel from a ruptured tank spilled onto her parking lot.

“It’s very bleak,” Seuffert said of Matlacha’s future. “We are going to make a concerted effort to business owners. Because of the historic designation, we are handcuffed. The guidelines do not make it conducive at all. These are old fishing shacks. But it’s not a viable community.

“We’ve reached out to the commissioners. No response. We need to get our voices heard.”

Commissioner Kevin Ruane, whose District 1 includes Matlacha, could not be reached for comment. Lee County’s communications office said it would gather information on Matlacha’s future.

Carol Scott, president of the Matlacha Civic Association, said she reached out to commissioners, as well as county government. She hopes to provide clarity soon for her association’s members.

“I don’t think anybody from the preservation board — I don’t believe anybody has come out here,” Scott said.

Some Matlacha businesses in a concrete block building, built in 1964, fared better.

Rich Chalupsky, owner of The Perfect Cup coffee shop, roasts his own coffee.

“We lost power,” he said. “I opened up the door and saw all the mud and 12 inches of water.”

Chalupsky mopped out the mud and water.

“As soon as we have power, we’ll be open,” he said. “We all band together out there. We all help our neighbors. This building is unique. We will live to fight another day.”

William Tidball owns the CW Fudge Factory just next door in the same building.

“We sealed the doors,” Tidball said of his prestorm preparation. “We duct taped them. It stopped a lot of the mud. We swept all the water out. We’re now on our 30th time of mopping. Every time, you get more and more out.”

Tidball said he moved to Matlacha from Pittsburgh because of the unique, small-island feel. He hopes Matlacha somehow can maintain its character.

“It’s a special place,” Tidball said. “Hurricanes are a cost of living here. You go through this more and more. The time between the storms goes from 10 years apart to two years apart to two weeks apart.

“Nothing is going to be hurricane proof. If you don’t have water damage, you have wind damage. There are buildings on this island that are built to code that are damaged. It’s frustrating when it keeps repeating, over and over.

“Matlacha will be back. We’ll be back, and we’ll be stronger than ever.”