As Charlotte County officials await cost estimates from the impacts of 2024 hurricanes Helene and Milton, the county is already reeling from the $362,021,150 cost of Hurricane Ian in 2022.
Estimates for Helene and Milton are expected to be available this month.
The county’s hurricane fund was established for accounting purposes and covering all hurricane-related expenses. When it receives reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state, granting agencies, insurance and Florida disaster program SB4A, the monies are deposited into the hurricane fund.
In the case of Ian, after projected reimbursements were calculated the county, to date, the fund has a $26,898,405 shortfall.
The county’s Hurricane Impact Projection spreadsheet breaks down damages and reimbursements that remain unchanged from earlier in 2024.
Damages to parks, recreational and other facilities were the costliest at $137,118,112. Coming in second was debris removal at $116,665,762. Buildings and equipment damaged or lost to Ian were the third costliest at $55,786,936.
Other projected costs were for emergency protective measures ($17,104,747), county roads and bridges ($13,174,109), water control facilities ($9,865,812), administrative costs ($8,767,718) and utilities ($3,537,954).
The largest reimbursement projected comes from FEMA at $242,300,833 followed by insurance at $54,957,327. Grants from agencies totaled $22,323,084, the state’s reimbursement was pegged at $11,864,527 and the state’s SB4A disaster program’s reimbursement is expected to be $3,676,974.
Officials said there is no plan to further impact future tax rates or fees despite the shortfall from Ian.
City of Punta Gorda is settling claims for city-owned property.
Although it’s been two years and nearly four months since Hurricane Ian slammed Southwest Florida, city officials continue to calculate Ian’s damages that totaled $6,344,317 as of late December.
Like the county, damage from Helene and Milton is still being assessed.
The projected damage costs are for county and city-owned properties. Privately owned structures, buildings and businesses are being settled by individual owners.
Hurricane Ian caused both wind and flood damage, while Helene and Milton were mostly flooding events, although some 46 tornadoes were spawned by Milton before it made landfall, according to the National Weather Service.
Of those tornadoes, an EF1 touched down near the mouth of the Myakka River in Charlotte Harbor on Oct. 9 with winds of up to 94 mph. In the Babcock Wildlife Area an EF0 tornado with 85-mph winds was on the ground for half a mile and uprooted trees and overturned a camper.
Punta Gorda City Council will be addressing Ian’s impact at its Jan. 9 meeting, while the Board of County Commissioners’ next regular meeting is Jan. 14.
