With a Florida state of emergency, Fort Myers, Sanibel, Bonita warily watch growing storm
This story was updated to add new information.
For Southwest Floridians – especially islanders – the bulletins have an all-too familiar ring as the second anniversary of Hurricane Ian nears:
“Sanibel Residents and Businesses Encouraged to Monitor Weather Conditions in the Tropics;”
“Town of Fort Myers Beach Emergency Management continues to monitor the Tropical System formed in the Northwestern Caribbean;”
“Lee County Emergency Management urges residents to take action to prepare as tropical activity increases”
“The City of Bonita Springs is Monitoring Tropical Activity”
And from Governor Ron DeSantis, a state of emergency declaration: Executive Order 24-208 (Emergency Management – Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine
You could almost hear a collective ‘Here we go again’ shudder as the region learned the National Hurricane Center is watching a Gulf of Mexico situation that might become a tropical storm named Helene by mid-week.
Battle-tested Sanibel Island isn’t quite in the hunkering stage yet, but is definitely keeping an eye on things. “Normal preparations for the City right now, and we’re reminding residents and businesses to do the same,” Sanibel spokesman Eric Jackson wrote in an email.
Mead Johnson, one of the owners of Bailey’s General Store on Sanibel looks at destroyed shelves on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023 after it was flooded by Hurricane Ian. The plan is to tear down the existing building and re-open in a rebuilt space that will be raised.
The weather system, currently called Invest (for investigation) 97L is producing showers and thunderstorms that “are beginning to show signs of organization with a broad area of low pressure” over the northwestern Caribbean Sea, USA Today reported earlier. The NHC said conditions seem favorable for further development, and a “tropical depression or storm is likely to form over the next couple of days” as the system moves northward across the northwestern Caribbean Sea and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico.
What Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Lee County officials are saying
Fort Myers Beach is urging residents to “Stay vigilant and prepared. Town Hall has sand and bags available for residents at 2731 Oak St. Those that live in the areas prone to flooding, please be aware that the Town’s stormwater system will not alleviate water breaching the seawalls from the back bay … most of the Tier One project is still in progress, meaning drains may hold water for some time during significant rain events.” Online resources: The town’s Facebook page and its website. Also available: CodeRed: Community Notification Enrollment, which sends users to phone, text and/or email alerts.
Sanibel is pointing residents to the National Hurricane Center and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “”The key to weathering whatever Mother Nature sends our way is to have a plan and be prepared,” wrote Sanibel Mayor Richard Johnson. ” Please pay close attention to weather updates from our local meteorologists and follow the guidance of public authorities if a threatening storm heads this way.”
Bonita Springs is sharing information online at www.cityofbonitasprings.org and on its Facebook page: Tune in to Bonita TV by streaming live on the city website or the following cable distribution systems:- Comcast, channel 98.- Hotwire, channel 398.- Summit broadband, channel 96.
And Lee County has plenty of advice:
Monitor local media outlets, the National Weather Service-Tampa, and the National Hurricane Center.
Sign up for AlertLee, an emergency notification system that keeps you informed through phone, text, and/or email.
Download the LeePrepares app from Google Play or the App Store.
Follow Lee County Government and Lee County Public Safety on social media.
Bookmark www.leegov.com. If a storm is approaching, Lee County Government will continuously update the website with relevant information.
Have a plan:
Review your Evacuation Zone and Flood Zone. Review the All Hazards Guide.
Double check your Family Emergency Plan and an Emergency Supply Kit.
Your Family Emergency Plan should include a list of steps, such as securing loose items in your yard and ensuring your shutters are up. Review this list now and ensure you have what you need on hand as you continue to monitor the tropics.
The county also says that Lee County Natural Resources and the Lee County Department of Transportation work year-round to be prepared for excessive rain events, particularly during the traditional hurricane season. In the event of heavy rain, it will take the infrastructure time to drain. Please use caution and don’t drive through flooded roads. If the roadway is covered with water, take another route.
The county asks the public to report blocked ditches, swales, canals and areas of local flooding:
As tropical storm activity intensifies, Lee County Solid Waste urges residents to follow these important guidelines:
Refrain from cutting trees, doing major yard work, or placing large amounts of bulk waste at the curb, as excess debris strains collection services.
Secure loose items that could become projectiles before any approaching storm.
Collection schedules may change as storms approach; for updates and more information, visit www.leegov.com/solidwaste.
To receive updates from Lee County Government, sign up for the newsletter here: www.leegov.com/resources/newsletters. Follow Lee County Government on Facebook, www.facebook.com/leecountyflbocc.
– This is a developing story. Come back to news-press.com for updates.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Storm alerts beginning for Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Bonita, Lee County
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