FORT MYERS (4:50pm) -- Lighthouse of SWFL will be closed on Thursday, September 7, Friday, September 8, and Monday, September 11, 2017. The agency will reopen when the hurricane has passed and it has been declared safe to travel.
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COLLIER COUNTY (4:45pm) -- The following Collier County public meetings and parks have been cancelled or closed in light of Hurricane Irma heading towards South Florida:
- Collier County Planning Commission, which was scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, in the Board of County Commissioners chambers, third floor, Collier County Government Center, 3299 Tamiami Trail E., Naples, Florida 34112.
- Growth Management Oversight Committee, which was scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, in conference room 609-610 of the Growth Management Department Planning and Regulation building, 2800 N. Horseshoe Drive, Naples, Florida 34104.
- Vanderbilt Beach Beautification Municipal Service Taxing Unit Advisory Committee, which was scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, in the Claussen Family Center at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 625 111th Ave. N., Naples, Florida 34108.
- Radio Road Municipal Service Taxing Unit Advisory Committee, which was scheduled for 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, at The Sanctuary Club House, located at 7906 Haven Drive, Naples, Florida 34114.
Closed park facilities
- Tigertail Beach Concessions (rentals and food concession) will be closed due to Hurricane Irma beginning Wednesday, Sept. 6, until further notice.
- Caxambas Boating Park, Cocohatchee River Park, Goodland Boating Park and Port of the Islands Marina will close beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 7, until further notice.
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CHARLOTTE COUNTY (4:40pm) -- Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners departments will be closed Thursday through Saturday, with some exceptions, due to Hurricane Irma.
Fire/EMS stations will remain open. The Charlotte County Landfill and recycling centers will close at the end of business Friday. Regular residential solid waste and recycling collections will occur Thursday and Friday. Charlotte County Transit will operate as scheduled on Thursday and Friday, but there will be no transit service on Saturday. No new ride reservations will be accepted beginning Thursday.
Community Development building inspections scheduled for Thursday will be prioritized. Non-priority inspections will be rescheduled. All Friday inspections will be rescheduled.
Community Services facilities will also be closed on Sunday.
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LEE COUNTY (4:30pm) -- Wednesday afternoon/evening update from Lee County Emergency Operations Center:
The Florida Highway Patrol reports there is a higher volume of vehicles on Interstate 75 in Lee County, but FHP reports traffic is moving with only minor delays.
No mandatory evacuations are in effect. Decisions about mandatory evacuations will be announced, most likely on Thursday.
No shelters are open. Decisions about which general-population shelters may open at which dates and times will be announced. We anticipate that announcement Thursday.
The United Way 211 Help Line is activated for those with questions. Although call takers are receiving many inquiries, the United Way 211 line is responding to all calls.
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FORT MYERS (2:40pm) -- SalusCare will close its outpatient practices and community-based services at 12:00 noon on Thursday, September 7th as a result of Hurricane Irma, and will be closed all day on Friday, September 8th. In the event of an emergency, the community is encouraged to call 911.
No decision has been made yet whether the agency will resume full operations the week of September 11th. That decision will be made once the storm passes, in the interest of safety for patients and employees, and whether electric and water are available.
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LEE COUNTY (1:40pm) -- Due to the possibility of inclement from Hurricane Irma, early voting for the cities of Cape Coral and Fort Myers on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday is cancelled until further notice.
At this time, no decision has been made to resume Early Voting for the September 12, 2017, Primary Election.
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NAPLES (1pm) -- Naples Botanical Garden will close Thursday, September 7 in anticipation of Hurricane Irma and surrounding inclement weather. All classes and events scheduled to be held in the Garden through Sunday, September 10 are cancelled.
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COLLIER COUNTY (12:45pm) -- The Collier County Bureau of Emergency Services announces the opening of the Collier Information Hotline: (239) 252-8444 or 311 (Collier County only) and will be open until further notice.
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LEE COUNTY (12:30pm) -- Due to the approach of Hurricane Irma, the following government offices are closed Thursday and Friday in Lee County:
- Lee County BoCC Departments (except essential employees)
- Lee County Clerk of Courts
- 20th Circuit Court
- Lee County Tax Collector
- Lee County Supervisor of Elections?
- Lee County Property Appraiser
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CITY OF FORT MYERS (12pm) -- All city meetings have been cancelled for the rest of the week.
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GLADES COUNTY (12pm) -- The following Glades County shelters will open at 5:50pm Friday:
Maple Grove Baptist Church, 12777 E. State Road 78, Moore Haven (350 people)
West Glades Elementary, 2586 C.R. 731, Building 500, LaBelle (330 people)
Moore Haven High School Gym, 700 Terrier Pride Drive SW, Moore Haven (500 people)
PSN ONLY: West Glades Elementary **must be registered** (60 people)
Sexual offenders have to shelter at the Glades County Sheriff’s Office
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SANIBEL (11:45am) -- The Sanibel Community House has closed due to Hurricane Irma. There is no scheduled reopen date at this time.
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CHARLOTTE COUNTY (11:40am) -- In accordance with county code, all non-primary signs must be removed or otherwise prevented from becoming a potential projectile during tropical storms or hurricanes.
This applies to any temporary signs, banners, flutter flags and any other type of removable sign. In anticipation of the impacts of Hurricane Irma, please remove ALL non-primary signs or secure them to ensure they do not become a projectile.
For more information, contact the Charlotte County Community Development Department at 941.743.1201 or BuildingConstruction@CharlotteCountyFL.gov.
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CHARLOTTE COUNTY (11:30am) -- Construction materials and debris can cause significant damage if unsecured during a wind storm. In preparation for anticipated poor weather conditions resulting from Hurricane Irma, the Building Official requires that all construction sites be made safe. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Removal of all unsecured roofing materials from roofs;
- Ensure all construction debris is secured or placed in a dumpster on site;
- Where possible, ensure your onsite dumpster is covered;
- Secure all materials that could be blown around in high winds;
- Remove permit yard card board and all job site signage; and,
- If applicable, locate and turn off electricity, water and gas.
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LEE COUNTY (11:30am) -- All Lee County Tax Collector office locations will be closed Thursday and Friday. They anticipate closure again on Monday, September 11.
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LEE COUNTY (11am) -- Emergency officials in Lee County gave an update on local preparations for Hurricane Irma.
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LEE COUNTY (9am) -- EOC is now at a Level 1 full activation today coordinating with partners at all levels.
As we get more precise information on local impacts from Irma, evacuation and sheltering decisions will be announced. This will most likely happen on Thursday and Friday, based on the forecast.
As a reminder, not all shelters open for every storm and shelter openings are based on storm characteristics like wind and storm surge. No shelters are open at this time.
The United Way 211 Help Line is activated for those with questions.
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CHARLOTTE COUNTY (8:45am) -- At this time, no shelters have been opened in Charlotte County. Should the need arise, shelter openings will be announced on the Charlotte County Emergency Management website and social media pages.
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CHARLOTTE COUNTY (8:15am) -- Special Needs Shelters will be available for those individuals that require medical assistance that is not available at a regular shelter.
Only basic medical assistance and monitoring will be available. Oxygen will be provided to persons who require it. All persons admitted to the Special Needs Shelter must be accompanied by a care giver.
You may be eligible for a special needs shelter if you: have special medical needs that do not require hospitalization, need assistance with basic everyday tasks, or have a chronic condition that requires assistance.
At this time, no Special Needs Shelters have been opened. However, pre-registering for a special needs shelter is recommended. Contact the Emergency Operations Center at 941-833-4000 to confirm your eligibility and get registered.
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MARCO ISLAND (730am) -- The Marco Island Police Department reports that there is no fuel available on the island, however they expect deliveries to be made and are closely monitoring the situation.
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STATE OFFICES -- Governor Rick Scott directed state offices to be closed in all 67 Florida counties this Friday in preparation for Hurricane Irma. Prior to Friday’s statewide closures, state office closures will follow the direction of county officials and will be announced as they are determined.
The Governor also issued a call to state employees across Florida encouraging them to volunteer in support of the state’s emergency shelter mobilization efforts.
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CHARLOTTE COUNTY -- There has been no evacuation order issued for Charlotte County at this time. However, if people have a place to go Charlotte County Emergency Management encourages residents to do so, to avoid road congestion should an evacuation be ordered.
People living on the barrier islands should have plans in place and reminded if the island is ordered to evacuate, Fire and EMS station 10 staff are required to evacuate as well.
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SCHOOLS CLOSED (3:45pm) -- So far, the following school closures have been announced:
Collier County public schools: Closed Thursday and Friday
Cape Coral charter schools: Closed Thursday, Friday and Monday
Canterbury School: Closed Thursday, Friday, and Monday
Seacrest Country Day School in Naples: Closed Thursday and Friday
Additional school closings will be posted HERE.
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ROAD TOLLS SUSPENDED -- Governor Rick Scott has directed the Florida Department of Transportation to suspend tolls across the entire State of Florida beginning at 5pm Tuesday in preparation for Hurricane Irma.
**NOTE** -- This declaration does NOT affect Lee County tolls at this time. Lee County government is not suspending its tolls on any of its bridges (Sanibel, Midpoint or Cape Coral) at this time.
By suspending all tolls, Floridians and visitors will more easily be able to prepare for any potential storm impacts, access important hurricane supplies, and quickly and safely evacuate when necessary.
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COLLIER COUNTY -- A special county commission meeting will be held at 12pm on Wednesday.
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EDISON & FORD WINTER ESTATES -- Edison & Ford Winter Estates will be closed to visitors on Thursday, September 7 and will remain closed through Monday, September 11. Visitors should call 239-334-7419 and speak with a staff person before planning their visit.
Crews are installing storm shutters, and high-priority items are being moved from the historic structures to the museum for safety.
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Remove anything outside your home that could become a projectile during a storm including your garbage cans, lids and recycle carts and store them inside.
Regular household collections will begin as regularly scheduled as soon as possible after the storm.
To prepare at home or for possible evacuations, North Collier Fire is asking everyone to put together a 72-hour go kit today.
