City provides update on tropical storm
At about 2 p.m. today, Sept. 24, the city of Sanibel reported that the National Hurricane Center has issued a Tropical Storm Watch and Storm Surge Watch for Southwest Florida, including Sanibel. The storm is currently predicted to bring 4-8 inches of rain, winds of 50 mph and could produce a storm surge of up to 6 feet for the area.
Sanibel residents, business owners and visitors should closely monitor the storm through the National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service and local weather stations as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico. The city encouraged the public to register with Alert Lee at https://alertlee.com/ to receive emergency notifications from Lee County and with the city at https://www.mysanibel.com/government/city-manager-s-office/useful-links/sign-up-for-city-announcements to receive city announcements.
Residents who feel that their homes may not be safe from the potential storm surge, winds and rain from Tropical Storm Helene should consider evacuating the island until the storm has passed the area.
Hurricane Re-Entry Permits are available at the Sanibel Police Department at City Hall for residents and businesses and at the Sanibel Recreation Center for residents. Permits may be obtained at the SPD on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at the rec center on Mondays through Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Fridays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
City Hall is at 800 Dunlop Road, Sanibel.
The Sanibel Recreation Center is at 3880 Sanibel-Captiva Road, Sanibel.