page_title: Effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida
section_title: Collier County
hierarchical_section_title: Effects of Hurricane Irma in Florida / Impact / South Florida / Collier County
caption_attribution_description: English: A mobile home destroyed by Hurricane Irma in Goodland, Florida
context_page_description: Hurricane Irma was the costliest storm in the history of the U.S. state of Florida. Irma developed from a tropical wave near the Cape Verde Islands on August 30, 2017. The storm quickly became a hurricane on August 31 and then a major hurricane shortly thereafter, but would oscillate in intensity over the next few days. By September 4, Irma resumed strengthening, and became a powerful Category 5 hurricane on the following day. The cyclone then struck Saint Maarten and the British Virgin Islands on September 6 and later crossed Little Inagua in the Bahamas on September 8. Irma briefly weakened to a Category 4, but re-intensified into a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago of Cuba. After falling to Category 3 status due to land interaction, the storm re-strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane in the Straits of Florida. Irma struck Florida twice on September 10 – the first as a Category 4 at Cudjoe Key and the second on Marco Island as a Category 3. The hurricane weakened significantly over Florida and was reduced to a tropical storm before exiting the state into Georgia on September 11.
context_section_description: In Collier County, a spotter observed a sustained wind speed of 112 mph (180 km/h) on Marco Island, while a wind gust of 142 mph (229 km/h) was reported at the Naples Municipal Airport. As a result, winds left a total of 197,630 FPL customers without power – approximately 94% of the county's electrical subscribers. A total of 154 of the 212 cell phone towers in Collier County were left out of commission. Extensive damage to trees and electrical poles was reported in areas in the path of the eyewall, especially at Collier-Seminole State Park, Golden Gate, Marco Island, Naples, and Orangetree – with the level of destruction indicating winds equivalent to at least a Category 3 hurricane. Additionally, damage patterns suggest mini-swirls may have occurred in Collier-Seminole State Park, Marco Island, Orangetree, and Valencia Lakes. Storm surge peaked at 5.14 ft (1.57 m) at Naples. Throughout the unincorporated areas of the county, 65 homes, including 44 mobile homes, were demolished, while 1,008 homes received major damage. Property damages in unincorporated areas alone reach about $320 million. Two deaths occurred in the county, one when an elderly man waded through potentially toxic flood waters in Everglades City, and the other from carbon monoxide poisoning.
  At the Big Cypress National Preserve, flooding was reported on several roads, while the maintenance building and ranger station suffered roof damage. A tornado was spawned near Ochopee, as evidenced by leaning power poles. Storm surge inundated the waterfront of Chokoloskee with 6 to 8 ft (1.8 to 2.4 m) of water, indicating 8 ft (2.4 m) above mean high water. Moreover, much of the island was flooded with 3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m) water. A total of 30 buildings received major damage, with at least 3 being destroyed. A bridge leading to the community suffered such extensive damage that only pedestrian traffic was allowed until repairs were complete. At Plantation Island, 43 structures sustained major damage, at least 7 of which were destroyed. Inundation reached 6 ft (1.8 m) above the ground at the Everglades National Park Gulf Visitor Center in Everglades City, while the town was flooded with 2 to 4 ft (0.61 to 1.22 m) of water. Consequently, nearly every building in Everglades City suffered some degree of damage, with 517 buildings receiving major damage and 23 others being completely destroyed, with about 100 homes being deemed uninhabitable. Storm surge may have reached as far inland as the Collier County Sheriff Substation at the intersection of U.S. Route 41 and State Road 29. The historic Everglades City Hall remained closed until at least November due to significant water damage. At the Port of Islands, 14 buildings suffered extensive damage. In Copeland, some trailers and homes were destroyed, while water threatened, but did not enter, any homes. At Collier-Seminole State Park, hiking trails were flooded and a boardwalk suffered extensive damage.
  The waterfront in Goodland was inundated with 5 to 6 ft (1.5 to 1.8 m), while the rest of the town was flooded with 3 to 4 ft (0.91 to 1.22 m) of water. Storm surge left mud on many streets and forced up to 4 ft (1.2 m) of water into some homes. Winds toppled power lines and knocked trees onto homes and streets, while a number of homes suffered roof damage and shattered windows. Overall, the storm left major damage to 68 buildings in the community, with at least 7 destroyed. Inundation at the eastern and southern portions of Marco Island reached 2 to 4 ft (0.61 to 1.22 m) above ground, with some roads inundated with 1 to 2 ft (0.30 to 0.61 m) of water. About 15 homes in the city were deroofed, while a building housing a Montessori school and a newspaper office also lost its roof. In East Naples, a trailer park was flooded with shin-deep water, carports collapsed, and many mobile homes lost their walls. Elsewhere, several roads were left impassible due to fallen trees and inundation by water. In North Naples, the storm knocked over trees and power lines across the town, though structural damage was mostly limited to t
caption: A destroyed mobile home in Goodland
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