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.