06 Jul Be Prepared For Hurricane Season; It’s Already Begun

For our newest island residents, it is true: Hurricane season has already begun!

The hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin (Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico) is June 1 to November 30. As shown in this NOAA graph, a storm can occur anytime, however the busiest period is mid-August to mid-October.

Reminder: The City of Sanibel continues to use the 2016 hurricane reentry pass in 2018.
The residential pass is Purple, the Commercial pass is Tan. Both have 2016 in the middle.

Hurricane Tools and Information

Hurricane Reentry Pass: The pass easily identifies who and when persons are authorized to return after an evacuation. The reentry pass program is all about safety and security, therefore getting a pass requires a short application and specific documentation (shown on the application). Refer to our city’s webpage Hurricane Reentry Pass Program

Reentry Passes are issued all-year long, so do not wait until a storm threatens!

Family Emergency Plan: Completing this pre-formatted plan makes it your family’s emergency plan. An essential part of surviving a hurricane, it can also improve your quality-of-life during the event. The plan is on the county website leeeoc.com

CodeRED™: Both the city and county use this tool to send targeted emergency alerts. You can receive alerts on multiple phones such as your home and/or cell. Sign-up for this FREE service on the city website mysanibel.com (in the Quick Links on the right side).

Special Needs Program: The program provides shelter from a tropical storm or hurricane for those who live in a home and/or area that isn’t safe from storm surge or wind, and who have no other safe place to go. It also provides transportation to a shelter for those who do not have a way to get there. The program is available to Lee County residents at no cost, but you must register by completing an application. Sanibel and Captiva residents are encouraged to register via F.I.S.H. of SanCap at 239-472-4775, or you can register directly with the county on their website leeeoc.com

All Hazards Guide, Additional Information and Tips: A great resource on a variety of topics like preparations, shelters, contacts and more is the All Hazards Guide on the county website leeeoc.com

Flood Hazards: The Federal Emergency Management Agency lists the entire City of Sanibel as a Special Flood Hazard Area. Floods kill almost 200 people a year in the U.S., 50% of those are vehicle related. Remember: Turn Around – Don’t Drown!®

For more information, please see the city Emergency Management webpage.