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Hurricane Ian - Update #3

The above image is current as of 11:00am today.

Ian is moving toward the north near 10 mph (17 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue today. A turn toward the north-northeast with a reduction in forward speed is forecast tonight and Wednesday.  On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico in a couple of hours, pass west of the Florida Keys later today, and approach the west coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday and Wednesday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph (185 km/h) with higher gusts. Ian is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Re-strengthening is expected later today through Wednesday. Ian is forecast to approach the west coast of Florida as an extremely dangerous major hurricane.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles (220 km).
 



Collier County Bureau of Emergency Services Director Dan Summers will hold a press conference on Tuesday, September 27, at 3:00 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center, 8075 Lely Cultural Parkway, Naples, Florida.
The subject of the press conference will include, but is not limited to, updates on Hurricane Ian.

The press conference will be streamed on Collier Television at http://tv.colliergov.net/CablecastPublicSite/watch/1... and on the Collier County Facebook page.

Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worse.

Safety first!

Representative Bob Rommel
District 106
Collier County Issues
Voluntary Evacuation Notice and Shelter Openings
Due to potential hazards related to Hurricane Ian, Collier County has issued a Voluntary Evacuation Notice for those living in the immediate coastal areas, west and south of US Highway 41/Tamiami Trail, in low-lying flood-prone areas and mobile homes.

For those that elect to evacuate, and do not have other options available to them General Population Shelters will open at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 27th as a last resort.

The following Pet-Friendly General Population Shelters will be opening:

• Oak Ridge Middle School, 14975 Collier Blvd, Naples
• Corkscrew Middle School, 1165 Oil Well Rd, Naples
• Golden Gate Middle School, 2701 48th Terrace SW. Naples
• Immokalee Middle School, 401 North 9th ST, Immokalee

Those who plan to use emergency shelters should take any necessary medications, cell phone chargers, toiletries, foods, water, flashlights, bedding and anything else they need to be comfortable.

Pet owners must bring their vaccination records, the appropriate size kennel for their animals, food and water for a minimum of three days, bowls and all supplies including waste bags and litter. When taking pets outside, they must remain leashed, and pet owners are responsible for picking up pet waste. There must be a family member or caretaker of the pet present in the shelter always.

Collier County encourages all residents to sign up for Alert Collier, the County's mass notification system. When you sign up with Alert Collier, you can enter up to five addresses within the County boundaries that you would like to receive emergency alerts. For example, enter your home, work, relative, school, or other meaningful address. Then, you will receive a notification if an alert is issued for that location.

Register at www.AlertCollier.com or call 3-1-1 within Collier County.

Please visit www.colliercountyfl.gov or call 311 if you are within Collier County or (239) 252-8444 if you are out of the area, for more information.
Bags and Sand Available at
Three Collier County Parks
Sand is available at three Collier County parks for those interested in obtaining sandbags, with a limit of 10 bags per person.

Pre-made sandbags are available at North Collier Regional Park, 15000 Livingston Road, Naples, FL 34109.  
 
Two other Collier County parks have piles of sand and bags to make sandbags (but you need to bring your own shovel and/or trowel to fill the bags):  
  • Donna Fiala Eagle Lakes Community Park, 11565 Tamiami Trail E., Naples, FL 34113, and
  • Max A Hasse, Jr., Community Park, 3390 Golden Gate Boulevard West, Naples, FL 34120.
The sandbag service will be available daily 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., supplies and weather permitting.
 
When properly filled and placed, sandbags may divert water around instead of through buildings. There is no guarantee of a water-tight seal, but sandbags can be helpful in most situations. Burlap sacks and plastic sandbags (polypropylene) are standard types to use.  Garbage bags are not recommended since they are too slick to stack.  

Livestock Disaster Preparedness

Plan for Your Livestock

If you haven't already done so:

Write down a list of emergency telephone numbers
, including those of your employees, neighbors, veterinarian, state veterinarian, poison control, local animal shelter, animal care and control, county extension service, local agricultural schools, trailering resources and local volunteers. Include a contact person outside the disaster area. Give it to everyone involved in caring for your livestock.

Contact your state department of agriculture and county extension service well in advance of a disaster to learn how they can help in the event of an evacuation. If your animals cannot be evacuated, these agencies may also be able to provide on-farm help or insight.

Make sure every animal has durable and visible identification.

Ensure that poultry has access to high perches if they are in a flood-prone area, as well as to food and clean water above the potential flood line.

Reinforce your house, barn, and outbuildings with hurricane straps and other measures.

Perform regular safety checks on all utilities, buildings and facilities on your farm.

Use only native and deep-rooted plants and trees in landscaping (non-native plants are less durable and hardy in your climate and may become dislodged by high winds or broken by ice and snow).

Remove all barbed wire and consider rerouting permanent fencing so that animals may move to high ground in a flood and to low-lying areas during high winds.

Install a hand pump and obtain enough large containers to water your animals for at least a week (municipal water supplies and wells are often contaminated during a disaster).

Identify alternate water and power sources. A generator with a safely stored supply of fuel may be essential, especially if you have electrical equipment necessary to the wellbeing of your animals.

Secure or remove anything that could become blowing debris. Make a habit of securing trailers, propane tanks and other large objects. If you have boats, feed troughs or other large containers, fill them with water before any high wind event. This prevents them from blowing around and will also give you an additional supply of water.

If you use heat lamps or other electrical machinery, make sure the wiring is safe and that any heat source is clear of flammable debris.

Label hazardous materials and place them all in the same safe area. Provide local fire and rescue and emergency management authorities with information about the location of any hazardous materials on your property.

Remove old, buried trash, which is a potential source of hazardous materials during flooding that may leach into crops, feed supplies, water sources and pasture.

Evacuating Without Your Livestock

If evacuation is not possible, decide whether to confine large animals to an available shelter on your farm or leave them out in pastures. Owners may believe that their animals are safer inside barns, but in many circumstances, confinement takes away the animals' ability to protect themselves. This decision should be based on the type of disaster and the soundness and location of the sheltering building.

Survey your property for the best location for animal sheltering. If your pasture area meets the following criteria, your large animals may be better off out in the pasture than being evacuated:

  • No exotic (non-native) trees, which uproot easily
  • No overhead power lines or poles
  • No debris or sources of blowing debris
  • No barbed wire fencing (woven wire fencing is best)
  • Larger than one acre in size (if less than an acre, your livestock may not be able to avoid blowing debris)

If your pasture area does not meet these criteria, you should evacuate. Whether you evacuate or shelter in place, make sure that you have adequate and safe fencing or pens to separate and group animals appropriately.


Additional resources

Emergency Contact Numbers

Collier Information Hotline  (239) 252-8444 or 311

Police/Fire Emergency  911

Collier Sheriff Non-Emergency  (239) 252-9300

City of Naples Police  (239) 213-4844

City of Naples Fire  (239) 213-4900

Marco Island Fire  (239) 389-5040

Marco Island Police (239) 389-5050

Florida has no income tax and a balanced budget. 
Let’s keep it that way!
Copyright © 2022 State Representative Bob Rommel, All rights reserved.


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