PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Lee County Prepares for 2019 Hurricane Season

Tara Calligan
/
WGCU
The items people going to an evacuation shelter should pack was on display during the 2019 Lee County hurricane preparation event.

Hurricane season officially began June 1, and the Lee County Emergency Management Department hosted an event on Monday to share resources and preparation tips for the season ahead. 

The situation room at the Lee County Emergency Operations Center was set up with several stations dedicated to information that will help Lee residents before and after a hurricane.

Lee Mayfield is the director of public safety and emergency management for Lee County. He says his department aims to encourage a culture of preparedness in the county.  

"Taking the time now to prepare will lead to better outcomes for you and your family after the next hurricane," Mayfield said.  

Mayfield said residents need to have a disaster plan and check their renter or homeowner’s insurance policies before a storm threatens the area.

Lee County has released an app, called Lee Prepares, that has links and information on how to get ready for the season, which runs until the end of November.

"How to prepare your pets, debris information, links to all sorts of sorts of different preparedness items ... that’s Lee Prepares, and we want everyone to download that app," Mayfield said. 

Mayfield said hurricane preparedness seminars will be held throughout the county over the course of the summer. Locations and dates for seminars can be found on the county's website.

Andrea Perdomo is a reporter for WGCU News. She started her career in public radio as an intern for the Miami-based NPR station, WLRN. Andrea graduated from Florida International University, where she was a contributing writer for the student-run newspaper, The Panther Press, and was also a member of the university's Society of Professional Journalists chapter.