Evacuation orders have gone out for areas across Southwest Florida and shelters are opening in advance of Hurricane Ian’s approach.
All of Zone A is under a mandatory evacuation order, which generally includes islands and coastal areas including Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Bonita Beach, Matlacha and inland along the Caloosahatchee River. Part of Zone B in Lee County south of Veterans Parkway in Cape Coral is also under an evacuation order.
Anyone living in a mobile home or manufactured home is also part of the county’s evacuation order.
Lee County began opening shelters at 9 a.m. All shelters are pet-friendly. Anyone planning to go to a shelter should bring a Go Kit including a three-day supply of food and water, toilet paper, medications, sleeping items, phone chargers and anything else you might need. For those bringing pets, be sure to bring your own pet food and other supplies as well as a crate or pet carrier and ID tags and health records.
Open shelters in Lee County are at the following locations:
Dunbar High School
3800 Edison Avenue
Fort Myers, FL 33916
East Lee County High School
715 Thomas Sherwin Ave.
Lehigh Acres, FL 33974
Estero Recreation Center
9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd.
Estero, FL 33928
Gateway High School
13820 Griffin Dr.
Fort Myers, FL 33913
Hertz Arena
11000 Everblades Parkway
Estero, FL 33928
Island Coast High School
2125 DeNavarra Pkwy.
Cape Coral, FL 33909
Oak Hammock Middle School
5321 Tice Street
Fort Myers, FL 33905
South Fort Myers High School
14020 Plantation Road
Fort Myers, FL 33912
Varsity Lakes Middle School
801 Gunnery Road North
Lehigh Acres, FL 33971
Veterans Park Recreation Center
49 Homestead Road S.
Lehigh Acres, FL 33936
In Collier County, the City of Marco Island has issued a voluntary evacuation. A news release from the city says this is also the time for island residents to prepare for a possible mandatory evacuation. At this time, the city has no plans to close the Jolley Bridge or impede vehicle traffic on or off the island.
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