hurricane preparation

Southwest Floridians are getting time Tuesday to make final preparations for Hurricane Milton. But some people are frustrated by lack of gas, and by lack of knowledge over what to bring to an emergency shelter.

Two Florida legislators from opposite sides of the aisle came to Florida Gulf Coast University this week to discuss proposed legislation.

A public groundbreaking will be Nov. 2 for an expansion project at the Lee County Emergency Operations Center on Ortiz Avenue.The project entails a two-story addition to the existing Emergency Operations Center, which will be renamed the Lee County Public Safety Center when it’s completed.The event at 2675 Ortiz Ave., Fort Myers, will include comments from county commissioners and other officials. The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted to award the contract for the 36,873 square-foot expansion in September.

Floridians are still picking up what was lost a year ago during Hurricane Ian, a deadly and destructive Category 4 storm. The Collier Community Foundation is one of the leading organizations providing support to Ian victims.

The National Hurricane Center is highlighting an area off the Florida east coast for possible development later this week.

In a typical Atlantic Ocean hurricane season, August through mid-September is the busiest time for tropical storms and hurricanes. This season is no different.

Hurricane Lee is expected to stay off the U.S. East Coast this week, but that could change for the upcoming weekend.

"Oh, no — please, not again" — is a sentiment it’s fair to think that many residents of Southwest Florida have been thinking and feeling as Hurricane Idalia made its way north through the Gulf of Mexico and toward the Florida peninsula. While not on the exact same track as Hurricane Ian last September, and doesn't appear to be on a path that will severely impact Southwest Florida, Idalia is coming from the same general direction and revives memories of Hurricane Ian in September of 2022.

The mercurial nature of weather can be seen in the constant changes among the current five systems being watched in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico since last week. A new tropical storm, Harold, formed overnight and headed to Mexico and the Southwestern U.S.