Blog

May 27, 2023

Storm preparation, related info in advance of likely Hurricane Idalia

T.S. Idalia is paralleling the Lee County coast and will create tropical storm conditions for coastal communities, many of which continue to recover from Hurricane Ian. That is why Lee County

T.S. Idalia is paralleling the Lee County coast and will create tropical storm conditions for coastal communities, many of which continue to recover from Hurricane Ian. That is why Lee County announced the opening of two Safe Havens at 7 p.m. today. These are not shelters. They are a safe place for anyone who does not feel secure in their housing situation and who perhaps does not have a friend’s home or a family member’s home to go to.

The two Safe Havens will remain open tomorrow as Lee County monitors the conditions.They will be located at two county sites:

If you need transportation to one of these sites but don’t have a vehicle, you can still get there.LeeTran will activate emergency transportation service 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. tonight from Pine Island and Fort Myers Beach to the Safe Haven locations ahead of Hurricane Idalia.Visit www.leegov.com/storm to link to that LeeTran info and see maps for pickup, or call United Way’s 211 line. You can dial 2-1-1 or call 239-433-3900.All LeeTran bus fares were temporarily waived until further notice beginning at 5 p.m. today. Those with special transportation needs should call 211 for additional assistance.

The storm forecast has forced the cancellation of the meeting planned for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Big Arts Sanibel, 900 Dunlop Road, to receive public comment and input on the Draft Action Plan for the $1.1 billion Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds.

The public still has an opportunity to provide comment and input. The Draft Action Plan is published at www.leegov.com/recovery/cdbg-dr through Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. Comments can be emailed to [email protected], mailed to Lee County Administration in care of the Office of Strategic Resources, 2115 Second St., Fort Myers, Fl, 33901.

Lee County Government will be closed Tuesday to ensure as few people as possible need to travel during the tropical conditions. Links are available at www.leegov.com/storm to other sites such as city halls and constitutional offices. Residents should check there before driving to offices, as some are open and some will be closed.

Employees in county departments that are necessary for tropical events as well as employees at the Emergency Operations Center will be working Tuesday.

Lee County’s Board workshop for Tuesday has been canceled.

Lee County Solid Waste will continue its Tuesday curbside collections as scheduled.

Solid Waste’s haulers do not have regularly scheduled routes on barrier islands tomorrow. If Tuesday is your trash day, put out bins tonight. If you are able to bring them back in after the hauler collects trash on Tuesday, do so as soon as possible.

Follow Lee County Government on Facebook, www.facebook.com/leecountyflbocc and visit the storm website at www.leegov.com/storm.

Charlotte County state of emergency: The Charlotte County Commission on Monday declared a local state of emergency due to Tropical Storm Idalia. Charlotte County offices and facilities and Charlotte County Public Schools will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30. Fire & EMS stations will remain open. Emergency Management, Public Works and Utilities personnel will continue to perform essential functions, such as water and sewer service, stormwater drainage and storm recovery operations. The Charlotte County landfill and mini-transfer and recycling facilities will remain open on Tuesday, closed Wednesday. Waste Management will perform collection for regular Tuesday customers, with no collection on Wednesday.For Tropical Storm Idalia information, call the Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center at 941-833-4000.Media and public can follow Charlotte County Emergency Management important emergency information at www.charlottecountyfl.gov/em, www.facebook.com/oemcharlottecounty, and www.twitter.com/ccoem.

Estero Recreation Center: Closed until further notice.

Lee County Schools: Out of an abundance of caution due to the forecast winds for our area, Lee school officials made the decision to cancel school, all activities and close all District offices on Tuesday, August 29th. There will be an update about plans for August 30th by 1 p.m. tomorrow.

Charlotte County Schools: Charlotte County Public Schools continues to work in collaboration with the Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center to closely monitor the approach of Tropical Storm Idalia. The updated forecast shows the probability of tropical storm-force winds impacting Charlotte County.To help our families remain safe and prepared, Charlotte County Schools will be closed on Tuesday, August 29 and Wednesday, August 30, which includes the cancellation of all student activities. We will continue to monitor the storm’s path and make adjustments accordingly. Announcements will be communicated via the phone system and will also be placed on the district website.Rasmussen University Fort Myers campus: All classes and clinicals will be canceled Tuesday, Aug. 29. Faculty and staff may work remotely if it is safe to do so.The University plans to reopen the campus on Wed., Aug. 30—pending conditions—and all classes and clinicals will resume at that time.The University’s administration monitors weather conditions using the National Weather Service and local emergency service agencies in determining a specific course of action during a severe weather event. For status updates, students may call their campus directly or the Personal Support Center at 866-349-4357.Sarasota County Schools: Out of an abundance of caution and due to the latest track of Tropical Storm Idalia, traditional public schools will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30, in order to function as evacuation centers. If your child is enrolled at a charter school, please check directly with your school for updates on closures. All after-school activities on Monday, Aug. 28, will take place as scheduled.

Florida SouthWestern State College: All campuses and locations will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 29. All classes, services, and activities are canceled.

Decisions about college operations for Wednesday, Aug. 30 will be communicated by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29 via FSW's official communication channels and www.FSW.edu.

Florida Gulf Coast University: ACADEMICS | All academic classes will shift to remote delivery Tuesday. Faculty members should communicate with students Monday evening regarding assignments and activities that can be completed in lieu of face-to-face meetings. Please be mindful that our region may experience intermittent power and/or internet outages, which could extend into Wednesday depending on the storm’s track. Students, look for communication from your instructors this evening.

EMPLOYEES | Tuesday will be a remote day. Administrative offices will be available via a remote environment, and campus will remain open for activated essential personnel. If remote work isn’t possible for your role at the university, please address this with your supervisor to create an alternative plan. Supervisors, please keep in mind that many employees will have children at home due to school closures.

RESIDENTIAL | There is no evacuation of residential students, and housing community offices will remain open Tuesday. We urge our students who live on campus to stay in their units during the height of the storm. SoVi Dining will be open for residential students from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday. Campus shuttles will not be operational.

The following locations will be closed Tuesday:

Anyone planning an in-person meeting or event Tuesday on behalf of FGCU should transition it to a virtual meeting or reschedule the event for another date after the storm passes.Starting now, all campus-wide communications need to route through the FGCU Update email account, and FGCU is suspending any non-emergency posts on all official social media accounts.

Please send any storm-related questions to [email protected].

County Courthouses closed, but some services available: In an abundance of caution, the 20th Judicial Circuit has closed Collier, Lee, and Charlotte County Courthouses due to the potential of weather impacts from Tropical Storm Idalia.

The Clerk’s office staff will report to work to continue providing essential services for Collier County residents. The main Courthouse Annex will be closed to the public, but all eight satellite offices will be helping taxpayers with services such as processing official records, accepting passports, issuing marriage licenses, processing payments, and providing access to legal forms.

The Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller maintains satellite offices at:

· Airport Road DMV – 725 Airport Road South, Naples, FL 34104

· Eagle Creek - 6654 Collier Boulevard, #101, Naples, FL 34114

· Everglades City Hall - 102 Copeland Ave. North, Everglades City, FL 34139

· Golden Gate - 4715 Golden Gate Parkway, Naples, FL 34116

· Heritage Bay - 15450 Collier Blvd., Naples, FL 34120

· Immokalee Courthouse - 106 South First Street, Immokalee, FL 34142

· Marco Island - 50 Bald Eagle Drive, Marco Island, FL 34145

· North Collier Government Services Center - 2335 Orange Blossom Drive, Naples, FL 34109 Citizens are also encouraged to visit www.CollierClerk.com to utilize online services.LEE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OFFICES: In response to Tropical Storm Idalia, county government offices in Lee County will be closed on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. As a result, the Florida Department of Health in Lee County will also be closed on Tuesday, August 29, 2023.

Updates on Tropical Storm Idalia can be found on the Lee County Government website.

For medical emergencies, please dial 911.DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE — Due to preparations for pending Tropical Storm, the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island will be closed Tuesday Aug 29 and will remain closed until further notice.All of our visitors and partners are urged to also take appropriate precautions for the storm.Tarpon Bay Explorers, the official refuge concessionaire, will also be closed all September and will reopen Monday Oct 2, 2023.A safety assessment will be conducted post-storm. The refuge will reopen as soon as it is practically possible. Further announcements will be made at that time. To confirm refuge hours please call 239/ 472-1100 or check the refuge’s official Facebook page for the most current information: www.facebook.com/dingdarlingrefuge

Babcock Ranch: Due to Tropical Storm Idalia, all amenities at Babcock Ranch are closed until further notice. This includes Lake Timber Lodge, Cypress Lodge, the Splash Pad, and the Edgewater pool.

Bonita Springs — Arts Bonita will be closed Tuesday.

CLEARWATER — Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg units are preparing and will respond to impacts from Hurricane Idalia over the next few days.

SARASOTA: Sarasota County Government: All offices will close today, Aug. 28, at 1 p.m. All offices will be closed Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30.

MARCO ISLAND — The City Council of the City of Marco Island will hold an Emergency Meeting on Monday, August 28, at 4:30pm. There is one item on the agenda: to Declare a State of Emergency for Marco Island for Hurricane Idalia.The agenda will be posted outside City Hall and on the door of the Community Room. It will also be posted on the City’s website.The Meeting will be held in the Community Room at 50 Bald Eagle Dr. Marco Island, FL 34145.

Okeechobee Waterway Lock Operations/Notice to Navigation: Safe harbor lockages will begin on Monday, August 28, to allow safe passage for vessels before Hurricane Idalia makes local landfall. Locks will be open 7 AM to 10 PM supporting vessel safe harbor passage. Lock operations will stop 8 hours prior to landfall, as railroad and drawbridges will be lowered or rotated and locked into a secure position. It's important that all vessels are at their intended destination before bridges are secured and passage across the waterway suspended.No mooring of vessels on Corps Structures during event.For Lock Operator safety, the locks will:1. Stop locking vessels or working outdoors if lightning is observed within five miles of the lock, and operations will not resume until lightning has not been seen in the area for 30 minutes.2. Stop locking vessels when winds exceed 35 MPH.After a storm, it could be days or weeks before the waterway is reopened, depending on damage to structures and how quickly debris creating navigation hazards can be removed. When locking is resumed, it will be at the site’s normal locking hours: Okeechobee Waterway Locks from 7 AM to 5 PM, Canaveral Harbor Lock 6 AM to 9:30 PM.For up-to-date Lock information, contact the shift operator at: Okeechobee Waterway Locks from 7 AM to 5 PM

Charlotte County urges contractor site security: Current forecast tracks show our area may see some impacts from Tropical Storm Idalia as early as midday Tuesday, so now is a good time to think about securing construction job sites.

Secure or remove all loose items or secure items stacked on roofs that could become projectiles in high winds. Secure or remove all construction debris on job sites:

Please keep in mind this time of year that our ground is already very saturated with rain water so it’s imperative that all swales are free of construction materials so water is able to flow. Ensure that anything that can be rain-proofed is protected and, wherever possible, move your construction equipment to a secure area.

Remember: Do not drive through floodwaters or go near downed power lines or near any other hazards. After an event, contractors will be notified by email and information will be posted to the Community Development pages on the county website for any special instructions relating to permitting.

South Florida Water Management District: The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Idalia and is preparing the regional water management system for potential heavy rainfall.

Much of Central and South Florida has an interconnected water management system, and flood control is often a shared responsibility between various agencies and communities including the SFWMD. SFWMD is strongly encouraging all local governments and local drainage operators like homeowner associations (HOAs) to prepare their stormwater systems.

Gulf Search and Rescue: GulfSAR is continuously monitoring weather conditions and the projected path of Tropical Storm Idalia.

Current forecast models have Tropical Storm Idalia strengthening as it crosses the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and rapidly developing into what is projected to be MAJOR Hurricane status as it approaches Florida’s Western Coast.

With projected rainfalls and life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic flooding could and likely will occur. Hurricane force winds are expected as early as Tuesday along Florida’s West Coast and Panhandle.

GulfSAR is arriving in Florida today to assist the Eastern Gulf Coast with evacuations and to stage for immediate flood and swiftwater rescues as Idalia’s impacts are felt.

COLLIER: The sand and sandbag operation continues tonight until 7 p.m., and will reopen tomorrow, Tuesday, August 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sand and sandbags will be available at North Collier Regional Park Softball Complex, 15000 Livingston Road, Naples, FL 34109. For those interested in making sandbags, there is a limit of 10 bags per person, and supplies are limited. Please bring your own shovel and/or trowel to fill the bags.

When properly filled and placed, sandbags may divert water around instead of through buildings. Sandbag construction does not guarantee a water-tight seal but is satisfactory for use in most situations. Burlap sacks and plastic sandbags (polypropylene) are standard types of use. Garbage bags are not recommended since they are too slick to stack.

For more information, call the Road, Bridge & Stormwater Maintenance Division at (239) 252-8924.

SARASOTA: Sandbag operations will take place from 2-7 p.m. today, Aug. 28, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29. Locations for both days follows:

VENICE: Sand is available on a first-come, first-served basis at Wellfield Park, 1400 Lucaya Ave., Venice. Bags can be picked up at the Public Works building, 1350 Ridgewood Ave., City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave., or bring your own bag. This is self-service, shovels will be provided. Limit 10 bags per household.

Highlands County: Starting at 11:30 a.m. today (8/28), sand for sandbags will be available at South George Boulevard just north of the Emergency Operations Center (6850 W. George Blvd., Sebring). Bring a shovel and a partner to help if needed. This will be the only location with sand as of now. Sandbags are unavailable for distribution; they are available at Home Depot and Lowes, and other local hardware stores.

The City of Punta Gorda: Self-fill bags and sand are available at Hounds on Henry for City of Punta Gorda residents. Limit of 8 bags per vehicle and please bring your own shovel. Please note that sanitation will not pick up bags after the storm and bags are not to be dumped in the canals.

Sand and Sandbags Available at North Collier Regional Park Softball Complex: As of Monday, August 28, sand and sandbags are available from 2 to 7 p.m. at North Collier Regional Park Softball Complex, 15000 Livingston Road, Naples, FL 34109. For those interested in making sandbags, there is a limit of 10 bags per person, and supplies are limited. Please bring your own shovel and/or trowel to fill the bags.

When properly filled and placed, sandbags may divert water around instead of through buildings. Sandbag construction does not guarantee a water-tight seal but is satisfactory for use in most situations. Burlap sacks and plastic sandbags (polypropylene) are standard types of use. Garbage bags are not recommended since they are too slick to stack.

The sandbag service will be available today until 7 p.m., supplies and weather permitting.

For more information, call the Road, Bridge & Stormwater Maintenance Division at (239) 252-8924.

President Biden spoke to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Monday morning and told him that he quickly approved the Emergency Declaration for Florida as they prepare for Idalia. FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center has also been fully activated to support any requests for federal assistance. President Biden said Florida will have his full support as they prepare for Idalia and its aftermath.

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