Higher tides associated with Michael spark erosion concerns in Southwest Florida

Beach managers and government agencies are watching for erosion along Southwest Florida beaches in the wake of powerful Hurricane Michael. 

High tides were pushed beyond their normal limits Tuesday and Wednesday and onto some local barrier islands. 

"Coastal areas in Lee County began experiencing higher than normal tides on Tuesday as Hurricane Michael passed west of Southwest Florida," Lee County spokesman Tim Engstrom said in an email to The News-Press. As the storm made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, winds in our area were expected to shift onshore, he said.

More:Hurricane Michael slams into Florida as Category 4 storm; early reports show devastation

More:Hurricane Michael falls short of a Category 5 – by just 2 mph

Engstrom said the county will monitor local beaches for the rest of the week.

Erosion is common in the aftermath of a large hurricane like Michael. Even smaller tropical systems can cause erosion if conditions are right. 

"Our storm impact has been at the higher tides, and we’re monitoring for street flooding and any erosion associated with that," said Roger Hernstadt, Fort Myers Beach manager. 

Hernstadt said there was no erosion on Fort Myers Beach by Wednesday morning but that workers will check the coastline for the next several days. 

Michael made landfall in the Panama City area Wednesday afternoon. 

Live stream:Tracking Hurricane Michael

More:Hurricane Michael bearing down on some of Florida's most vulnerable Panhandle communities

Sea turtle nests are a concern during the stormy summer months, when giant females emerge from the Gulf of Mexico to lay eggs on the very beaches they were born on. 

Although sea turtle nesting runs through the end of October, the majority of local nestlings have already hatched. 

Also, eggs can survive storm conditions. 

"It depends on how long they are submerged," said Eve Haverfield, of Turtle Time Inc. on Sanibel. "They can tolerate a wash over and if there’s any oxygen trapped in the nest they’ll be OK. And nests higher on the beach do better with a wash over." 

Red tide update 

Meanwhile, Lee County waters were mostly clear of red tide this week for the first time in nearly a year. 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission released its latest red tide report Wednesday. 

Red tide blooms have been documented in Southwest Florida since the 1800s.

The organism that causes red tide is called Karenia brevis and is naturally found in background concentrations. 

Previous coverage:Hurricane Michael may affect red tide and blue-green algae. Here's how.

More:Red tide is clearing — but for how long?

Concentrations this summer have been as high as 200 million cells per liter, according to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. It's nearly zero at every location tested in Lee and Collier counties now. Charlotte County still had some red tide.

Fish kills and breathing irritation in humans can start when levels reach 10,000 cells per liter, according to the FWC. 

This bloom was first documented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Oct. 16 and is the longest since a bloom that stretched from late summer 2004 until the spring 2006. 

Connect with this reporter: Chad Gillis on Twitter.