Hurricane relief efforts

Hurricane Fort Myers Beach re-entry passes arenow ready at the temporary town hall complex at 2545 Estero Boulevard, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; mailing is also available for those still off-island.

Grants to help rural and Tribal communities repair water infrastructure damaged by presidentially declared disasters in calendar year 2022 have been made available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Florida.

After months of community engagement, the ResilientLee & Recovery Task Force concluded its first phase of Hurricane Ian recovery with an estimated $7 billion, and counting, in countywide projects.

Almost 20 million Americans live in mobile homes. Those homes are a lot less likely to be restored after natural disasters, meaning disasters often exacerbate the country's affordable housing crises.

The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Small Business Administration and Florida Gulf Coast University is hosting a free webinar on long term recovery and disaster preparedness from 11 to 12:30 p.m. June 20.

The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to approve two measures to assist people affected by Hurricane Ian with housing needs.

Lee County will be the recipient of a $25 million bridge loan to Lee County through the Local Government Emergency Bridge Loan Program. The program was created in a Special Legislative Session earlier this year and is administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to support government operations that may have been impacted by hurricanes Ian or Nicole.

In the months after Hurricane Ian made landfall, residents in Fort Myers Beach, Pine Island, and Sanibel, Florida have struggled to navigate insurance claims, building permits, and government aid as they rebuild their lives.

In response to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Ian, the Lee County Recovery Task Force held another town hall in Lehigh Acres to get community feedback on community recovery and future resiliency needs.

Although the application deadline for Hurricane Ian damage assistance has passed and the Disaster Recovery Center will be closing Friday, February 17, at 6 p.m., there are still ways for survivors to receive assistance.