Marco Island was greatly impacted by Hurricane Ian that swept through the night of September 27 through the day September 28,  2022.

Surprisingly though, beautiful Marco faired pretty well during the hurricane. There was much less flooding and damage than farther north up the coast in Naples and Ft. Myers where there was complete devastation.

But yes, Marco Island was definitely impacted by the destructive storm surge that flooded and damaged the lower-lying areas of Marco. The worst hit seemed to be the Olde Marco area and the south end.

We had friends planning a vacation to Marco who were wondering if they should still go or not, so we drove through Marco exactly one week post-hurricane to check out the damage.

Here is what we found.

Driving onto Marco across the bridge was as beautiful as ever. One week after one of the most destructive hurricanes ever to hit southwest Florida came roaring by, the skies were blue, the mangrove islands were green, and the water gorgeous.

Marco Island Plant & Tree Damage from Ian

The landscaping, flora and fauna of Marco is still beautiful, though you can see many brown dead trees and shrubs. Palm trees are surprisingly resilient.

South Marco Beach Damage 

South Marco Beach is still absolutely gorgeous one week after Hurricane Ian. There are dead branches and shrubs washed up on the beach, and there is still a faint smell of dead fish, but it is still a lovely place to visit. 

Hurricane Ian Home Damage on Marco Island

Sadly, you can see a lot of waterlogged furniture and contents of resident's homes out for the trash on the sides of the roads. It seems like anything on the first floor was flooded by the storm surge.

Angler's Cove Condominium Damage

Angler's Cove Condos were completely flooded on the first floor. Higher floors fared well, but all the belongings on the first floor were a complete loss.

Marco Island Hurricane Damage to Restaurants

Dolphin Tiki Bar & Grill Hurricane Ian Damage

Next to Angler's Cove is the Dolphin Tiki Bar & Grill. From what we could see one week after Ian, it looked in pretty good shape, even though it must have been flooded from the storm surge. 

December Update on the Dolphin Tiki Bar 

The Dolphin Tiki Bar on Marco Island is open after Hurricane Ian! It was a wonderful place to enjoy the Marco Island Christmas Boat Parade. The Jumbo Lump Crab Stack was amazing!

Snook Inn Hurricane Ian Damage

Sadly, the recently renovated Snook Inn suffered quite a bit of damage. The entire tiki bar was taken out, and I believe they had just renovated it in September.  They are currently closed for repairs, but hope to open their gift shop next week.

To stay updated on the progress of the Snook Inn reopening, follow their Facebook page HERE.

Once it has reopened, I highly recommend taking a boat there for lunch.  Check out our post, Naples to Marco Island by Boat.  I can't wait to be able to do this again!

Sunset Grille Hurricane Ian Damage

The Sunset Grille on the Marco Island South Beach is open! The storm surge came up to the bottom of the railing of the outdoor patio of this beachside restaurant, but did not enter or damage it.  You can follow them on Facebook for updates.

Go visit...the food is delicious, and the view spectacular!

Hurricane Ian Damage to Resorts in Marco

If you have reservations at a Marco Island hotel or resort, check with them to know their current reopening status. Many places have Facebook pages where you can stay updated on their progress.

JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort Hurricane Ian Damage

According to our friends who have October reservations here, the first floor and pool area were all flooded with the storm surge. They are currently closed for repairs but lat I heard, plan to reopen Oct. 12, 2022.

Marriott Marco Island Live Beach Web Cam

Click HERE to check out the Marco Island beach conditions in real time.

Cape Marco Hotel after Hurricane Ian

Marco Island Stands Strong!

Despite the devastation that Hurricane Ian brought to Marco, it stands strong, and will come back better than ever!

Help Support SW Florida Relief Efforts

Marco Island is special in our hearts as well as many others, who are heartbroken over the devastation that Hurricane Ian brought this friendly little island in SW Florida.

Living in southwest Florida ourselves, we wanted a way to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian to rebuild and come back stronger and more beautiful than ever, so that families can continue to be able to create wonderful lifelong memories in this little slice of paradise.

So my daughter designed this Marco Beautiful Strong Loved shirt.

$5 of every shirt purchased will be donated to SW Florida relief efforts at: Destiny United Relief and Meals of Hope. These are both reputable organizations that we personally know, have worked with, and highly recommend.

💜 Thank you!