Can mighty Mucky Duck in Captiva battle back a third time? See what Milton did

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“Captiva and Sanibel just keep getting hammered.”

That comment from Deb Daugherty Ciccarello, a member of the Facebook public group, Sanibel & Captiva Island , combined with images of Captiva’s beloved Mucky Duck Restaurant looking absolutely hammered, captures the mood after three hurricanes battered the popular getaway spot on Florida’s west coast.

First Hurricane Ian in September 2022 . Then Helene and Milton, within two weeks of one another, this September and October. All major storms. And all in a Southwest Florida spot popular with tourists and day visitors.

MORE: Hurricane Ian: Your favorite Sanibel hangouts were ground zero of hurricane. A look at some of them

The Mucky Duck

Thursday morning’s Facebook post from The Mucky Duck said nothing, save a crying emoji. Perhaps that reveals more than words.

The six posted photos say plenty. The restaurant, a fixture on Andy Rosse Lane in Captiva since 1976, is battered. Exposed. Several walls seem blown out. The wooden deck framing the seaside patio entrance is warped like a vinyl record left inside a car in the Florida sun. The bent deck seems to have exerted pressure on the surrounding walls, tugging the roof to make it seem askew in photos. The outside bar is trashed.

The restaurant didn’t have time to be fortified against Milton so soon after Helene, Gulfshore Business reported. Water sloshed inside this time, scouring away the insides leaving an out-of-kilter shell, photos show.

In September, the main problem was an ocean of sand dwarfed the Duck, rising to the window line. Some broken glass.

“We had much worse damage than Hurricane Ian and it might be quite a while until we can open back up,” the social media posts read after Helene.

But a WINK News report in September captured the plucky spirit that fuels this dining institution.

Lori Snow, a bartender and part-time manager at Mucky Duck for 28 years, told the station how heavy and wet and all consuming the mountains of sand were that pushed against the wooden structure. “It’s hard to overcome, but we will overcome it. It’s basically my life. Lot of returning customers, great friends, meet new people every day,” Snow said.

MORE: This Florida tourist spot was wrecked 2 years ago by a hurricane. Here’s what Helene did

“We’ll get it all cleaned up and open — when we can,” Snow said, pointing to where new siding will go as backhoes trudged claws full of sand away from the structure.

But Milton had less beach to hinder or at least slow its access to the building. The surge smacked Mucky Duck for a third, painful time and exposed its weakness.

“Please tell me you can make something of this. Your restaurant is a staple to my vacations when I visit family. I hope this wasn’t the last blow,” wrote Shawn Sadler, to a symphony of “Same” posts from fellow travelers. Still others suggested owners host some kind of merchandise fundraising sales.

“I know this isn’t what you’re thinking about right now, but if you guys could set up a way to buy merchandise online there would be soo many people willing to buy something to help you along while you recover,” suggested Dustin Bryant.

Late Thursday afternoon, a statement on Mucky Duck’s Facebook page offered more proof that this island favorite is one mighty duck.

“We obviously have some work to do but we are gathering our village and plan to make the necessary repairs to our property as soon as possible. There is road damage on Captiva that needs to be fixed but we know Lee County will make that happen at their earliest ability. What happened was very disheartening of course, but for the sake of our staff and everyone who loves the Duck, we are going to give it another go.”

The Sanibel-Captiva situation

The Sanibel Causeway reopened for property owners to return to Sanibel on Thursday afternoon, according to the Sanibel city government website. But access to Captiva is blocked due to a road washout, reports the Fort Myers News-Press.

What to know:

▪ Re-entry: Hurricane re-entry permits or proof of residency will be required for access. Residents of Sanibel with a green entry pass or a valid government issued photo ID showing a Sanibel address will be granted access. Business owners with a red re-entry pass will be granted access. “There are still portions of roadways with standing water and drivers are encouraged to use caution when returning to their homes and businesses,” according to the site.

▪ Curfew: A curfew will be in place from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily until further notice. “Please limit travel throughout the island as much as possible to allow crews to expedite clean up.”

▪ Information: Lee County Southwest Florida website at www.leegov.com/hurricane/helene