Higher tides associated with Michael spark erosion concerns in Southwest Florida

Beach managers and government agencies are watching for erosion along Southwest Florida beaches in the wake of powerful Hurricane Michael.

High tides were pushed beyond their normal limits Tuesday and Wednesday and onto some local barrier islands.

"Coastal areas in Lee County began experiencing higher than normal tides on Tuesday as Hurricane Michael passed west of Southwest Florida," Lee County spokesman Tim Engstrom said in an email to The News-Press. As the storm made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, winds in our area were expected to shift onshore, he said.