Updated: Sept. 14, 2023. Hurricanes affected both the east and west coasts of Florida in November 2022. Beaches are now open. Read more for Red Tide updates and beach conditions including Sanibel, Bonita Beach and Fort Myers Beach. Before you make travel plans to Florida check the status of your destination.
Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach Areas
Hurricanes impacted Volusia County with strong, sustained winds and gusts of 70 mph in some areas. There is beach erosion from Hurricane Ian with damage to dunes and some structures. However, the beaches are open to the public and Daytona Beach is now open for driving!
The Dunlawton beach access in Daytona Beach Shores is open for beach driving. The damaged bathrooms have been removed. There is still hotel seawall construction going on. Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach have beach driving available too.
A sand re-nourishment project is scheduled to get underway in March. Volusia County's coastal division has identified 200,000 cubic yards of beach-compatible sand from sites in Edgewater and Ponce Inlet. It will be trucked or pumped to the beaches. See the list below for open Volusia county beaches.
Coastal buildings safety
Several beachfront hotels are undergoing the permitting process to rebuild their seawalls. About 5 miles of Tiger Dams were installed on the beach in December to help build up the sand. They have since been removed. Many hotels are open although some may not have pool access. Please call your chosen hotel directly for up-to-date information before booking as this information may change without notice.
Beaches Now Open for Walking and Swimming. Almost all beach parks are open:
Official updates are available at the Volusia County site.
Flagler Beach Area
The beaches are open. Flagler Beach including Varn Park sustained dune damage. Part of the Flagler Beach pier washed away and is scheduled for reconstruction. People are walking and swimming at the beaches. Beach erosion replenishment and mitigation agreements have been reached. Official updates at Flagler County site.
Fort Myers Beach Area is opening up
More than 40 businesses are back open in some capacity on Fort Myers Beach as of Sept. 1, 2023 but amenities are still scarce. There are food trucks visiting the beach area. The Dixie Fish Co. has re-opened. Many Fort Myers Beach hotels and restaurants hope to be back in business later this year, including the Margaritaville Beach Resort, Fort Myers Beach.
Currently, there are very few hotels available on the beach. However, you can book into the DiamondHead Beach Resort. Use this link for more business re-openings. Remember to call the business directly for up-to-date information.
Fort Myers Beach near Times Square is open to visitors but has no amenities. There is some parking. Food trucks and pop-up shops are trying to service the area. There is more parking near the Margaritaville construction and further down across the street from the beach. You will have to pay for parking but the businesses need your patronage...so go and have fun! Check here for bacteria monitoring.
Sanibel Island is open to non-resident traffic and Sanibel beaches are open. Beachfront parks Tarpon Bay Beach and Blind Pass Beach are open. Turner Beach Park is closed from Hurricane Idalia. According to Miami-Dade Urban Search and Rescue records, 5,126 structures on Sanibel were considered damaged. Check here for open businesses and amenities.
Bonita Beach has beach access open. Lee County opened Lynn Hall Memorial Park, San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve, Bonita Beach Park and Bonita Beach Accesses 1-10. Coconut Jack’s Waterfront Grille in Bonita Springs opened Feb. 3 for the first time since Hurricane Ian. Check for more news with this link.
Naples Beach is open! It has opened a number of beach accesses and a small section of the pier. For more information click here.
Links for Current Gulf Beach Conditions
Red Tide Status Update Statewide by FWC Beach Conditions Report by Mote Marine Laboratory
St. Johns County: St. Augustine and Jacksonville Beaches
Check the daily list (from Twitter) of beach access points open:
Brevard County: Space Coast Beaches
Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach and Melbourne Beach are open. The damage was lighter than Volusia County to the north. Coastal walkovers and ramps have been repaired. Canaveral National Seashore has re-opened. Get official information here.
Indian River County: Vero Beach
Vero Beach Parks
South Beach Park in Vero is open! Also now open: Ambersands Beach Park, Treasure Shores Beach Park, Seagrape Beach Access, and Round Island Beach Park. Official information can be found here. News source: WPBF.
Martin County: Jensen Beach Area
Jensen Beach is open. The Sand Dune Cafe has reopened. Parks are open but there may be blocked access where damage has occurred. Work on dunes has started in nearby Bathtub Beach but it is closed until further notice. For Official information click here.
The Treasure Coast: St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County parks and beaches are open!
Palm Beach County
Beaches are open. Hurricane Nicole created less beach erosion than expected in Palm Beach County and that the dunes were holding up. Juno Beach Pier is open for fishing. Official information can befound here.
West Coast: Gulf Beaches
Links for Current Gulf Beach Conditions
Red Tide Status Update Statewide by FWC Beach Conditions Report by Mote Marine Laboratory
Red tide causes fish kills and respiratory distress in many people. Conditions can change daily and may improve so that you can book and enjoy your beach vacation. Resources:
Florida Beaches NOT Affected by Hurricane Nicole
Red tide, blue-green algae, and other water bacteria issues are monitored by The State of Florida. They post testing results online at Florida Healthy Beaches Program. For more information on red tide status click here: https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/beach-water-quality/index.html
Hurricane Preparation Guide
Here is a guide explaining what to do before, during, and after a hurricane. Courtesy of Farah & Farah. Check it out: farahandfarah.com/hurricane-prep/
Links to Local News Stations:
WPTV-5, West Palm Beach WFLA 8, Tampa Bay Area WESH-2, Orlando, Daytona Beach, Cocoa News4Jax, Jacksonville WinkNews, Fort Myers WCTV, Tallahassee WEAR, Pensacola
Disclaimer: Our blog website is for general information only and not to be used for any official information. Reference official news for your travel making decisions. Though we aim to provide you with up-to-date information, we make no representations or warranties of any kind (expressed or implied) about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability of any information, products, services or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Full Disclaimer here.
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