Chad Gillis

Chad Gillis Laura Layden J. Kyle Foster Oct. 8, 2026, 12:02 p.m. ET Patty Huff saw the epic flooding conditions that swamped Naples on Oct. 7.

Naples Police Department Lt Michael O'Reilly said it may have been the first time a swamp buggy was driven (legally) through the streets of Naples since infamous Hurricane Donna in 1960.

Oct. 7, 2026 Updated Oct. 8, 2026, 11:31 a.m. ET DeeperDive is a GenAI Answer Engine built for trusted publishers.

Hurricane Isaias was 170 nautical miles north northwest of Sarasota midday on Oct. 9, but the tail end of the system could still bring significant rains to the Fort Myers or Naples area.

The swing between the summer rainy season and the dry winter can be dramatic. Florida can experience flooding and drought in the same year, sometimes within a matter of months.

Arthur Boyer says school testing needs reform and that critical services in Southwest Florida must be funded if property taxes get erased from the Florida tax roll.

Immokalee farmer Liesa Priddy shares her platform on water, taxes, and housing for Florida House District 82.

In a series of "No Kings" rallies, protesters are urging people to vote early as the November mid-term election looms.

District 80 stretches from the northwest corner of Lee County at Boca Grande and includes Sanibel Island, Captiva, Pine Island, Bokeelia, St. James City, Punta Rassa, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita Beach, Bonita Springs and Estero.

Botana grew up in Bonita Springs and often volunteers for local Rotary groups, Estero Bay cleanup projects and has worked with Florida Gulf Coast University's Vester Field Station along Bonita Beach Road.