UPDATE: Lee County Government opens for normal operations
UPDATE:
At about 1:30 p.m. today, Lee County Government provided the following updated information:
After Lee County Public Safety-Emergency Management staff and partners monitored Hurricane Elsa overnight, the county dispatched crews after sunrise to assess potential storm impacts and to monitor the continued Elsa-related weather impacts throughout the county. Crews included staff from departments such as DOT, Community Development, Natural Resources and Emergency Management.
Areas of the county that experienced localized flooding included Captiva, Pine Island and the John Morris Road area in south Fort Myers. Crews worked to clear outfalls and continued to monitor those areas — and others — through the high tide cycle mid-day today. The work that crews performed before Elsa, including clearing roadside ditches, swales and drainage canals, appears to have helped mitigate localized flooding in many areas that typically experience it.
Lee County Public Safety-Emergency Management staff have resumed normal operations.
The Florida Department of Health-Lee cautions the public against swimming or wading in floodwaters. Children who play in floodwaters can be exposed to water contaminated with fecal matter or other waste.
The county encourages residents and visitors to monitor the National Weather Service’s notices about rip currents. Dangerous riptides are present all along the Gulf Coast and will continue to be throughout today and July 8. To better understand riptide conditions, go to www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent.
The Lee County Board of County Commissioners and county staff have taken many steps toward flood mitigation since the 2017 rainy season, when Hurricane Irma and another tropical system impacted Lee during a two-week period. And while the flood-mitigation efforts are phased-in and ongoing, it appears that many of the infrastructure projects undertaken so far helped mitigate localized flooding for Elsa.
For more information on flood mitigation, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4RdpajcQ7I.
For further updates, visit www.leegov.com/storm.
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UPDATE (July 7, 2021):
As anticipated, Lee County Government departmental operations have resumed today.
At about 8:45 a.m., officials reported that county facilities and sites are open with normal hours.
Regularly scheduled trash collection and LeeTran services are running on normal schedules.
Lee County Public Safety-Emergency Management staff, county departmental staff and Emergency Operations Center partners continue to monitor and assess any impacts from Hurricane Elsa.
The county encourages residents and visitors to monitor the National Weather Service’s notices about rip currents. Dangerous riptides are present all along the Gulf Coast and will continue to be throughout the day. To better understand riptide conditions, visit www.weather.gov/safety/ripcurrent.
Motorists are urged to drive cautiously until the weather improves and localized flooding subsides inland and in coastal areas. Turn around rather than drive through standing water. Residents who want to report road flooding should first check to see if their street is county-maintained and then call 239-533-9400 or visit www.leegov.com/dot/requestforaction.
For additional storm updates, visit www.leegov.com/storm.
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UPDATE (July 6, 2021):
At about 1 p.m. today, Lee County reported that the National Weather Service expanded the Tropical Storm Warning for Tropical Storm Elsa to include inland Lee County in addition to coastal Lee County.
With weather conditions expected to deteriorate mid-afternoon, Lee County Government will close its offices and facilities at 2 p.m. Employees who are not needed for Elsa operations will be sent home.
LeeTran will continue to operate for those who need transportation.
Trash pickup on regularly scheduled routes will continue until it is completed, which is expected to happen mid-afternoon.
Lee County Parks & Recreation summer camps will remain open until all children can be picked up.
Information about when normal county operations will resume will be forthcoming.
Monitor local media outlets, check www.leegov.com/storm or follow Lee County Government on Facebook.
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ORIGINAL (July 6, 2021):
Lee County Public Safety-Emergency Management today continues to monitor Tropical Storm Elsa and its rainfall as well as potential wind and tidal impacts, officials reported.
The county asks motorists to drive with caution today.
Lee County Natural Resources and the Lee County Department of Transportation prepare year-round for excessive rain events, particularly during the traditional hurricane season.
DOT’s maintenance on drainage ditches, for example, has helped prepare the county’s roads for necessary drainage during rainfall events. Expect minor intersection and road flooding. During heavy rainfall, it will take the infrastructure time to drain.
The county asks the public to report blocked ditches, swales, canals and areas of local flooding:
– First, to find out if your road is maintained by Lee County DOT, visit http://leegis.leegov.com/RoadLookup/. If it is not maintained by Lee County, find your municipal contact by visiting www.leegov.com/dcd/flood.
– Second, put in a Request for Action (RFA) to improve surface water drainage along your county-maintained road by contacting the Request for Action Hotline at 239-533-9400 or www.leegov.com/dot/requestforaction.
– People can use the same phone number and website to also report blocked creeks and streams (example: downed trees, collected debris). The reported information will be directed to Lee County Natural Resources.
The county is monitoring low-lying areas, where residents should prepare their homes and yards for potential localized flooding. County crews will be monitoring locations such as the Sanibel Causeway Islands and roads on barrier islands, Estero Boulevard on Fort Myers Beach, the Fort Myers neighborhoods of Whiskey Creek and Island Park, as well as Bonita Springs and the Matlacha Pass area. They will also monitor Alva/Buckingham and North Fort Myers.
Lee County Natural Resources reports that the county’s water levels remain average to below average, which is typical for early in the rainy season and should help throughout today’s anticipated weather.
Natural Resource crews will be out monitoring creeks and streams, watching for and – where feasible – mitigating any impediments.
County crews will monitor any potential storm surge that would coincide with today’s high tides. Crews will respond accordingly.
The county will continue to coordinate with its municipal partners as well as with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Lee County Government departmental facilities and operations today are normal. The 20th Circuit is closed. For individuals experiencing homelessness, the Salvation Army Homeless Resource Day Center is open today.
Residents should monitor local meteorologists’ reports, visit www.leegov.com/storm and follow Lee County Government on Facebook.
Given the forecasted wind speeds, no shelters are open at this time. Emergency Management is prepared to open shelters, if necessary. LeeTran is prepared to help with transportation, should sheltering become necessary.
Regarding bridges: Lee County does not literally “close” bridges during tropical storms or hurricanes with barricades, cones, gates or signs because they can easily blow away, becoming ineffective and hazardous. Lee DOT strongly advises motorists to stay off bridges – and the roads leading to them – when sustained winds reach 40 mph (tropical storm force). At those speeds, wind gusts can already be much higher. Winds also become stronger at higher elevations, so dangers increase on higher bridges and elevated roadways.
Motorists may encounter law enforcement officers during today’s event around and near bridges. Follow the directions given.