DATE:  Friday September 9, 2017
TIME: 1230

Good afternoon Cape Coral. There has been inaccurate information disseminated that some of the Cape Coral Fire Stations have sand. There is not sand at any of the fire stations in Cape Coral. Here is link to a news story regarding sandbag locations (https://www.winknews.com/2017/09/06/sandbag-locations-across-swfl/). This is information from yesterday so it is unknown if there is still sand available today.

Please see below very important updates on Hurricane Irma. 

WEATHER:

The projection has the storm shifting more west which will result in a greater impact for our area. Residents should continue to prepare by having a family disaster/evacuation plan, making sure their disaster supply kits are ready and by staying informed.

TRASH COLLECTION:

Due to the Labor Day holiday, trash pick up has been delayed for a day. If your regularly scheduled pick up day is Thursday, your trash will be picked up today. If your regularly scheduled trash pickup day is Friday, unfortunately, your trash will not be picked up. Please do not put your bins or any other items at the curb. Residential services have been suspended beginning Saturday. If any trash is not picked up after 7pm on Friday, residents are asked to bring their bins inside so that they are secure and do not create safety issues. 

Residents are asked to not put bulk items curbside at this time.  These items will not be able to be collected prior to the storm making landfall.  These items can become projectiles, potentially causing injury, property damage, or becoming a road obstruction.

ALCOHOL SALES:

With the exception of beer, the City is suspending the sale of, or the offer to sell, alcoholic beverages within the City of Cape Coral effective at close of business Friday (9/8)/Saturday (9/9) at 2:00a.m. This includes stores, restaurants, and bars.

EVACUATIONS:

Lee County has announced evacuations effective this morning. There are no mandatory evacuations for specific areas of Cape Coral. HOWEVER, mobile and manufactured homes and liveaboard vessels throughout Lee County have been issued an evacuation. Mandatory evacuations have also be issued for barrier islands including Bonita Beach, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva, and Pine Island.

Please remember that while you may not be asked to evacuate, once winds reach 40 MPH sustained, emergency services will be suspended.  9-1-1 will still take calls and add them to a queue.  Calls will be triaged and will be responded to once operations have resumed.

SHELTERS:

The following shelters are open for evacuees as of 9 a.m.:

• Island Coast High School, 2125 De Navarra Pkwy., Cape Coral  
• East Lee County High School, 715 Thomas Sherwin Ave., Lehigh Acres – PET FRIENDLY
• Varsity Lakes Middle School, 801  Gunnery Road., Lehigh Acres                                     
• Harns Marsh Middle School, 1820 Unice Ave. N., Lehigh Acres                                 
• Oak Hammock Middle School,  5321 Tice St., Fort Myers                                              
• South Ft. Myers High School, 14020 Plantation Road., Fort Myers – PET FRIENDLY       
• Estero Rec Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Road., Estero                   

LeeTran buses will begin transporting people to open evacuation shelters as of 9am this morning. At this time, all fares have been suspended for both Passport and Fixed Route buses.

To be transported to a shelter, all passengers can board the bus at any stop, and then need to exit the bus at a designated Shelter Transfer location. Passengers can also board the bus from dedicated pickup locations on Sanibel Island and Pine Island. From the Shelter Transfer location, another dedicated bus will take passengers to the closest open evacuation shelter.

Regular transit service will continue to run at this time as well. LeeTran buses will remain running until winds reach approximately 40mph.

East Lee County High School and South Fort Myers High School are the primary pet-friendly shelters in Lee County but, thanks to the efforts of Lee County Domestic Animal Services, all opened Lee County Shelters have pet capacity. You will need a crate or carrier, collar and leash, and up-to-date vaccination records for your pet. Having a recent photo of your pet will be helpful if you get separated. If your pet is not up-to-date on its vaccinations, it will still be allowed at the shelter. However, the County will not be accepting liability if your pet gets sick due to being around other animals and being improperly vaccinated. 

TRAFFIC CONDITIONS/ROADWAYS:

While there are currently no incidents, there is heavy volume. Please be cautious and patient when on the road. You can check roadways by visiting the FL 511 website or downloading the app.

Drivers should expect delays and allot extra time if you are trying to find and buy fuel. If you are looking for fuel, you can download the mobile app: Gas Buddy or Waze. Both keep real time gas prices along with availability. It’s only as good as the information people send it so be sure to report any station that is out, etc.

By order of Governor Rick Scott, tolls have been suspended on State roads at this time, such as the Florida turnpike.  Tolls have also been suspended for Lee County bridges.

Bridges are generally considered unsafe to travel once sustained wind speeds reach 40 MPH. Please do not drive on bridges at that time.

CANCELLATIONS AND CLOSURES:

City Hall will be closed today.

Monday’s (9/11) special and regular City Council meetings have been canceled.

All Parks and Recreation programs through the weekend have been canceled.

Cape Coral Municipal Charter Schools and Lee County Schools are closed today and Monday(9/11).

Early Voting as well as the Primary Election scheduled for Tuesday (9/12) have been canceled. No decision has been made to resume Early Voting at this time.  The Primary Election has been rescheduled for Tuesday, September 26.

BOATING INFORMATION:

The Chiquita Lock will be closed tomorrow (9/9) at noon.

Mandatory evacuations have been put into place for all liveaboard vessels.

Lee County DOT operated draw bridges – Alva, Big Carlos Pass and Matlacha Pass – will be locked down starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow. The lock down will be complete by noon. The Gasparilla bridge (Boca Grande bridge) was locked down at 9 a.m. today. Tolls are waived on the bridge.

Boat owners should take steps now to secure their vessels and be aware of the limitations of their anchor or mooring locations. For more preparation information, please see https://www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/plan/mediaresources and click on “Preparing Your Boat.”