Fort Myers Beach is a town located on the north end of Estero Island in Lee County, Florida, United States.

[5][6] On September 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian made landfall just north of the town as a high-end Category 4 hurricane, causing catastrophic damage and substantial loss of life in the city from high winds and destructive storm surge, which damaged the majority of homes and businesses along the coastline, including the popular Times Square.

[7] Hurricane Ian reached a peak of 15 ft storm surge and 140 mph gusts of winds on September 28, 2022.

The report also investigated the impacts of the hurricane in terms of beach-dune erosion and deposition, infrastructure damage and the distribution of non-biodegradable materials into estuary and mangrove islands.

[10] The most aggressive wind velocities, the greatest size of the storm and the fastest speeds were reported at the landfall in Southwest Florida.

[10] Over 1.5 million people were recorded to be affected by the hurricane due to the large and rapidly increasing population of this low-lying area.

[10] Bringing in approximately 19 million tourists visitors per year, Florida relies heavily on its coastal environment for economic reasons.

[9] The results of the surveys proved that effects of the hurricane were most notably experienced within 100–300 meters of the pre-storm shoreline.

[11] There still exists disadvantaged communities with a lack of staff, resources and/or education to develop effective strategies.

[11] According to the Journal of Hydrobiologia, climate change models have predicted an increase in severity and frequency of hurricanes on the Gulf of Mexico.

[13] The Federal Emergency Management Agency has already allocated $420 million with the goal of providing financial support while home and business owners recover from the hurricane in the form of low interest loans.

[13] The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration cites a 2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report with evidence that Gulf Coast communities will experience moderate coastal flooding at a frequency of 10 times the current amount by the year 2050.

[13] At least one study has suggested It could be more feasible to financially assist community members to seek refuge and residency in other locations, away from coastlines, rather than continually investing in the rebuilding of infrastructure.

The Calusa Indians resisted Spanish colonization attempts successfully including those by Ponce de León in 1513 and 1521.

The Calusa met their demise 150 years later due to disease, hostilities, and political and economic upheaval.

In 1862, Robert Gilbert received a homestead grant at the end of Connecticut Street, the highest point on Fort Myers Beach.

By 1914, all the property on the island was homesteaded with little industry beyond a hotel, fishing, gardening, and a sawmill operated by the Koreshan Unity (a communal society based on mainland Estero).

[8] Development on Crescent Beach was slow until the 1920s when Florida gained national attention as a vacation destination.

In 1921, a toll bridge was opened connecting the beach to the mainland, followed closely by the construction of two casinos, hotels, a pier and the island's first canal.

Despite entering a depression, Crescent Beach continued to gain small businesses, restaurants, subdivisions, and a school.

During this second land boom, numerous civic organizations, churches, local newspapers, weather and US Coast Guard stations, and the Beach Library were added to the island.

The church hosts "God's Table" feeding the poor and needy of the beach every day, Monday through Friday.