LIVE What you need to know: Governor provides updates on various relief effort topics
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The Naples Daily News has journalists across Collier County covering the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. The hurricane slammed into Southwest Florida on Sept. 28.
This blog will provide the latest news and information about recovery and relief efforts.
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6:44 p.m. | Highlights from Gov. DeSantis news conference in Fort Myers
Pine Island
Gov. Ron DeSantis said repairs to the Pine Island bridge — one of the barrier islands hardest hit by Hurricane Ian — should be completed by the end of the week, so that cleanup workers can clear debris and utility crews can get access to restore power.
The barrier islands off Florida’s Southwest coast took the brunt of Ian’s Category 4 winds and toppled the bridge to Pine Island and Sanibel Island which have limited accessibility for power crews and much needed supplied.
“I will say, probably saw more debris on Pine Island than any place I've been other than Fort Myers Beach,” DeSantis said Wednesday during in an afternoon press conference in Fort Myers.
Electric poles are down, “so no one had done anything about the power there,” said DeSantis.
He added that the island’s Publix supermarket, which has been giving away perishable items and running on generator power, would again be restocking shelves once the bridge reopened at the end of the week.
Sanibel Causeway
Bidding for a contract to rebuild the Sanibel Island Causeway, which was damaged in several places, was underway but DeSantis didn’t have an estimate on when the island would again be accessible by road.
Helping barrier islands
He said a “command and control” element would be established on five of the barrier islands including Pine, Fort Myers Beach, Captiva and the upper barrier islands just to the north, which would allow local, state and federal officials to move through different steps of recovery simultaneously.
“Our view at the state level, is you do all this stuff on parallel tracks,” he said. “You don't wait until one thing is done and then begin to start the next we know we have to do all these so let's start them all and move them forward.”
Power restoration
There are roughly 42,000 linemen surging into the state to restore power across much of Southwest Florida. About a quarter of the 2.2 million per outages have been restored in the days since Ian made landfall last Wednesday.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
— The state Department of Emergency Management also deployed a mobile fuel truck to Arcadia in DeSoto County and Dunbar in Lee County to help residents without access to fuel.
— At the same time, state officials opened the first disaster recovery center in Fort Myers Tuesday to serve as a “one-stop shop” where people affected by Hurricane Ian can tap into state and federal resources.
Located at Lakes Regional Library located at 15290 Bass Road, Fort Myers, it is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The center houses more than a dozen state and partner agencies tp provide assistance.
The center is the first of several to open in the coming weeks.
— DeSantis on Tuesday also activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan program. The program makes available $50 million in zero-interest business loans, $10 million of which is designated for agricultural businesses impacted by Ian.
— First Lady Casey DeSantis said the Florida Disaster Fund has raised more than $26 million since it was activated.
— Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said 16 urban search and rescue teams had gone through more than 72,000 structures looking for people.
— Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said a flood of “fraudsters” coming into the state looking to take advantage of people seeking insurance or other help. He encouraged people to be cautious of scams in the weeks ahead. “If it’s too good to be true it probably is,” he said. “If somebody is being too nice to you, run them off your property because they’re trying to take advantage of you.”
4:20 p.m. | Blood donors needed in SWFL
Hospitals in Southwest Florida need blood donors to step forward because of critically low supplies that is expected to worsen.
The NCH Healthcare System in Collier County has issued an urgent plea for donors, and its blood center is in dire need for platelets, a blood component that form clots and prevents bleeding.
The hospital system has experienced a surge in hospitalizations since Hurricane Ian hit Sept. 28.
· To donate, NCH’s blood center is located 1t 1100 Immokalee Rd. in North Naples.
· Platelet donations are made by appointment only at 239-624-4130. Whole blood donors do not need an appointment
· Call the blood drive hotline, 239-624-6505 for additional information.
3:43 p.m. Lee sheriff: 55 bodies recovered
Six days after Hurricane Island pounded Lee County, Sheriff Carmine Marceno says his deputies are tiring, with no end in sight.
His crew has helped with 842 rescues and recovered 55 bodies, he said Tuesday at Getaway Marina, near Matanzas Bridge on Fort Myers Beach.
2:13 p.m. | Football teams take the field
Collier County Public School football teams were allowed to return to the practice field on Tuesday with the goal of resuming their seasons on Friday.
Naples High started preparing for a showdown with in-county rival Barron Collier which will be played at 7:30 p.m.
Naples head coach Rick Martin is excited for such a big district matchup but is aware of the effects of such a quick turnaround.
“I think it’s what you expect, they're mentally exhausted from it all,” Martin said. “They’re all so young, so they don’t really know. They probably see their parents maybe without answers, so that probably worried them.”
The return to normalcy is welcomed by players, despite the toll this storm has had. Junior offensive lineman Sam Kelley faced the devastating storm surge that flooded Naples but is grateful to be able to come back to football.
“My stepfather, my brother, and I were downstairs until the water was at our chest just trying to bring stuff upstairs,” Kelley said. “For me, football has always been a way to release those emotions. So being able to get out here and get after it as much as we can has helped me hone in on what’s going on here instead of what’s going on at home.”
“It’s kinda harder,” said junior offensive lineman Cedric Small. “Because I know coming back to a house is something on my main priority.”
Small’s family also took on heavy flooding that damaged most of their furniture.
“I also lost my bed, so I’m sleeping on the couch at the moment,” he said
1:12 p.m. | Power restoration a "24-hour operation"
On Tuesday, State Sen. Ray Rodrigues (R-Fort Myers) toured Florida Power and Light’s storm recovery staging area. He described the operation as a “well-oiled machine,” set up to get linemen into the field as efficiently as possible.
“It’s a 24-hour operation,” he said.
Workers are housed in 30-bunk trailers, with total capacity to sleep 1,500 people, Rodrigues said. Each morning, linemen are given a hot breakfast, a boxed lunch, and a set of orders before being sent out on a 16-hour shift.
When they return, they get dinner, take showers and head to their bunks, as other workers inventory and re-supply their trucks. Their clothes are picked up and laundered, and are made ready for use in future shifts.
“They’ve set it up where the only thing the lineman have to worry about is doing their job,” Rodrigues said.
12:35 p.m. | Florida SNAP benefits: How do I get emergency food stamps after Hurricane Ian?
DCF released over $235 million in October SNAP benefits early to more than 1.4 million people to help with storm preparation. Read the full story here.
11:35 a.m. | Alert For All Private Well Owners in Flooded Areas
The Florida Department of Health in Collier County (DOH-Collier) advises residents living in homes with private wells affected by flood waters to take precautions against disease-causing organisms that may make their water unsafe to drink.
Drink only commercially bottled, both boiled and cooled, or water disinfected by another approved method until your water supply is tested and deemed safe.
Use commercially bottled water for mixing baby formula.
To be safe, you can disinfect tap water using the procedures below. Do not rely on unverified methods for decontaminating water. If water is cloudy, let it settle and filter it through a clean cloth, paper towel or coffee filter. This will help the disinfection process. If you have any extra water, put it in containers that were properly disinfected (see information below water disinfection).
The preferred method to disinfect water is to boil water.
Bring water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute to kill harmful bacteria and parasites.
To improve the flat taste of boiled water, add one pinch of salt (depending upon health conditions) to each quart or liter of water, or pour the water from one clean container to another clean container several times.
If boiling is not possible, use household bleach.
Add eight drops of plain unscented household bleach (four to six percent strength), which is about 1/8 teaspoon or a dime sized puddle, per gallon of water.
Do not use color safe bleach or bleaches with added cleaners.
If a higher strength bleach is used (up to 8.25% strength), only add six drops of bleach.
Mix the solution and let it stand for 30 minutes.
If the water is cloudy after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure one time.
If the chlorine taste is too strong, pour the water from one clean container to another and let stand for a few hours before use.
It is also possible to use other disinfection methods.
Note: Follow the instructions on the product label as each product may have a different strength.
Five drops of Iodine (2% tincture) can be added to each quart or liter of water to be disinfected.
Note: Per the CDC, water that has been disinfected with iodine is NOT recommended for pregnant women, people with thyroid problems, those with known hypersensitivity to iodine or for continuous use for more than a few weeks at a time.
If the water is cloudy or colored add 10 drops of iodine.
Stir and let the water stand for at least 30 minutes before use.
Water disinfection tablets (available at sporting goods departments or stores) that contain chlorine, iodine, chlorine dioxide or other disinfecting agents may also be used.
Containers for water should be rinsed with a bleach solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water before reusing them.
After the flooding subsides:
Disinfect your private well using the procedures available from DOH-Collier or visit the Florida Department of Health website: FloridaHealth.gov/environmental-health/private-well-testing/index.html. You may also visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA) website for instructions: cdc.gov/disasters/wellsdisinfect.html.
To find out if your water is safe, have it tested by a certified laboratory for coliform bacteria and/or chemicals. To find a certified laboratory, visit the following website: floridadep.gov/dear/florida-dep-laboratory/content/nelap-certified-laboratory-search.
10:43 a.m. Got WiFi? If not, 4 vans providing free internet
Four WiFi vans have arrived in Southwest Florida, devastated by Hurricane Ian last week.
Comcast Xfinity has set up the customized vans to provide free wireless internet service so residents and emergency personnel can stay connected. The four vans will operate at four locations in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties (two vans are in Fort Myers) from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily until further notice. Each can provide wireless internet connectivity to more than 1,000 users at one time cover a 300-square-foot area.
9:27 a.m. | Design business offers free furniture removal
Through Friday, Wilfredo Emanuel Designs is partnering with Skyline Moving & Delivery to provide free furniture removal for their clients and Naples’s residents in need. They are offering extended hours based on the team’s availability. Interested locals can call the office at 239-315-7794 to schedule an appointment to have their damaged furniture moved and disposed of free of charge.
9:17 a.m. | Towing companies busy removing cars, trucks
Our growth and development reporter Samantha Neely filed this story about all of the cars and trucks that have been damaged by flooding and how tow truck companies are addressing the challenge or removing the vehicles.
9:01 a.m. | Dramatic storm surge video from Fort Myers Beach
A Fort Myers Beach resident has shared video with the Naples Daily News and The News-Press of the storm surge from Hurricane Ian.
7:12 a.m. | Power restoration update from LCEC
As of 5:30 a.m. just over 41% of LCEC's six-county service territory has been restored over the past five days, excluding Sanibel and Pine Island which are not accessible to line crews.
The number of restoration workers will grow to 2,000 by this weekend as additional crews arrive today and tomorrow. Preliminary work on the islands will continue to prepare for restoration in those locations when possible, with the main focus on customers throughout the LCEC service territory who are able to receive power now.
LCEC reminds customers to stay away from downed power lines, turn off breakers until power is restored, and use generators safely to protect themselves and crews working on lines in their neighborhood.
Resources for Naples and Collier County
Cleaning after Hurricane Ian: Health department provides guidance on cleaning
Debris: What to do with Hurricane Ian storm debris in Collier County
Flooded car?: Here’s what to do (and what NOT to do)
Food: Where to get a hot meal at Naples restaurants after Hurricane Ian: A list of who's open
Mobile phones: Mobile phone carriers offer free talk, text and data to residents impacted by Hurricane Ian
Shelters: Naples city residents displaced by Ian struggle to find shelter
SMS alerts: Sign up to a special texting group for updates on aftermath of Hurricane Ian
Supplies: What's open and where to get what you need after Hurricane Ian
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Hurricane Ian: What to know in Naples, Marco Island, Collier County
