Shelters

Sarasota County Emergency Management officials have coordinated with municipal and community partners to provide cold weather shelter for those individuals in need due to the predicted drop in temperatures. Those attending should bring their own sleeping materials.

Due to temperatures in Collier County over the next 24 hours predicted at 40 degrees or less, several sites will serve as warming shelters for those in need.

Cold weather conditions continuing through the end of the week has preparations being made for sheltering availability by Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota officials.

A shelter will open in Charlotte County Saturday in advance of cold weather forecast for the region.

As the region prepares for Hurricane Milton to make landfall along the Gulf Coast, it is important to know the difference between pre-storm evacuation centers/shelters and post-storm shelters.Evacuation centers/shelters provide a place to stay for those who don’t feel safe in their own homes; for people who are displaced and those living in a mandatory evacuation zone.

The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures in the low 40s with wind chill dropping them to the 30s in Southwest Florida has prompted Charlotte and Lee county officials to make cold weather shelters available.

Temperatures likely in the 40s with wind chills to the 30s prompted a cold weather shelter to open in Charlotte County.

As many as 300 people will wake up Thanksgiving morning in a shelter in North Fort Myers. Many of those displaced by Hurricane Ian have been living in shelters for nearly eight weeks.

Florida has attempted to address some of these issues by setting up shelters where people with health conditions that require electricity for oxygen, dialysis and devices like ventilators can preregister to stay.

Evacuation orders have gone out for areas across Southwest Florida and shelters are opening in advance of Hurricane Ian’s approach. Here's information on evacuation orders and shelter locations in Manatee and Sarasota Counties.