Geomorphological impact of Hurricane Irma on Marco Island, Southwest Florida

Hurricane Irma caused significant damage on Marco Island, where it made landfall on September 10, 2017. Pre- and post-hurricane beach profiles were analyzed for an arched spit, Tigertail, along the northwestern side of the island, and volumetric quantification of its evolution was estimated using SANDS software. LiDAR data from 2008 to 2017 and Google Earth historical imagery dating back to 1995 were used to compare landscape-level changes as a consequence of the storms that affected the region. The data show that the sand spit evolved dramatically from a relatively small sand bar in 1995. The impact of Hurricane Irma appears to be most significant on the northern end of the spit, where nearly 200,000 m(3) of sediment was added by the storm between R-monuments V-311 and V-314. About 95,000 m(3) of sediment was removed by Hurricane Irma from the mid-island southward, between V-316 and R-133. Overall, the impact of Hurricane Irma was significant for Tigertail Beach and its surroundings, when compared to previous hurricanes, with a net gain from transport and redeposition of 118,000 m(3) of sediment on the barrier island and its surroundings.

Automated summary

The study found that Hurricane Irma had a significant impact on Tigertail Beach on Marco Island, causing dramatic changes to the spit from 1995 to 2017. The storm significantly influenced the northern and southern ends of the sand spit, resulting in a net gain of sediment on the barrier island and its surroundings.