While Hurricane Helene left destruction in its aftermath, Sarasota County is experiencing a silver lining. Midnight Pass, a subject of long-standing debate, was reshaped by Hurricane Helene, reopening for the first time in more than 40 years.
Before Helene reopened the pass, Little Sarasota Bay’s wildlife suffered: Water stagnated without proper circulation, saline-dependent clams diminished, millions of oysters perished, and most seagrasses died on the sand bed (with multiple species disappearing entirely). The loss of seagrasses impacted the migration of marine life and other mammals.
Since reopening, Midnight Pass has channeled new Gulf water into Little Sarasota Bay, improving water circulation and quality, restoring healthy ecological conditions, and inviting animals to return to the area. And they are returning. The lingering question is: Will the county keep the pass open? Local officials are exploring ways to keep it open permanently.
two houses.
Concerned residents closed the pass in 1983
Midnight Pass, located between Siesta Key and Casey Key, has been closed since 1983. Until then, the inlet’s southward motion rapidly eroded the beachfront, threatening to overtake the homes of Syd Solomon and Pasco Carter. Carter and Solomon, now deceased, successfully closed the pass, promising to re-establish another inlet elsewhere, but that never happened.
Since its closure in 1983, Midnight Pass has remained controversial. Advocacy groups such as The Midnight Pass Society II have pushed for reopening the pass for decades. Now, it appears they’ve gotten their wish—though it’s too early to determine the pass’s long-term stability. A natural phenomenon, Hurricane Helene, opened the pass, but another storm may very well close it.
