Lee County opens one-stop center to assist tornado victims

Stacey Henson, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read

Lee County residents coping with the after effects of Sunday's tornados have a one-stop shop to coordinate help.

Government officials said Friday afternoon that the Jan. 16 storm destroyed 74 homes, left 61 homes with major damage and 58 with minor damage, causing $7.1 million in damage.

The latest damage assessment from the storm is 74 homes destroyed, 61 homes with major damage and 58 with minor damage. The communities hit include Point Breeze, Tropicana, and Century 21 mobile home parks.

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The Lee Board of County Commissioners authorized a multi-agency resource center to assist residents at the Wa-Ke Hatchee Recreation Center, 16760 Bass Road in Fort Myers. It is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, beginning Saturday.

Participating organizations include: The American Red Cross, Lee County Human & Veteran Services, The Lee County Tax Collector, The Salvation Army, Harry Chapin Food Bank. Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, United Way, Center for Progress and Excellence and Catholic Charities.

They will assess individual needs and allocate available resources, a county news release said.

Residents look at tornado damage at Century 21 Mobile Home Park in the Iona area in Fort Myers on Monday Jan, 17, 2022. The area was hit by a tornado on Sunday.
Residents look at tornado damage at Century 21 Mobile Home Park in the Iona area in Fort Myers on Monday Jan, 17, 2022. The area was hit by a tornado on Sunday.

They will require Identification and proof of residency, examples include driver’s licenses, utility bills, insurance cards, mortgage statements or any other documents that match the impacted property address.

Staff will have a list of impacted residences for those who do not have documentation.

For transportation assistance to the Center, call 211. For more information and resources related to the storm, log on to www.leegov.com/storm.

Lee County residents not impacted by the storm but in need of agency services should call Lee County Human & Veteran Services at 239-533-7930 or visit https://www.leegov.com/dhs/assistance.

News-Press archives contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County tornado: One-stop center to assist victims opens Jan. 22