The following resources are provided as a public service. Being prepared before a storm threatens is the single most important thing you can do for yourself and your family. Links are organized by category, starting with the most local resources first.
During an active storm threat: Always follow the instructions of your county emergency management officials. Know your evacuation zone BEFORE hurricane season begins. Do not wait for an official order to start preparing.
📍 Local Emergency Management — Know Your Zone
Lee County (Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Sanibel, Pine Island)
- Lee County Hurricane Preparation Guide — Official county hurricane prep hub, evacuation zones, shelters, and resources.
- Lee County Emergency Management — Live updates, storm status, and emergency operations information.
- Lee County Emergency Notifications & Alerts Sign-Up — Register for text, email, and phone alerts for your address.
- AlertLee — Lee County Emergency Mass Notification System — Lee County’s official emergency alert system, replacing the previous CodeRED system. Free to register. Also available as a free app for iPhone and Android.
- Lee County Evacuation Zone Map (PDF) — Download and save this before storm season.
Collier County (Naples, Marco Island, Immokalee, Everglades City)
- Collier County Emergency Management — Evacuation orders, shelter information, and storm preparedness resources.
- Collier County Special Needs Shelter Registration — For residents who require medical assistance or have special needs during an evacuation.
- CollierEM.org — Collier County emergency management site with evacuation routes and storm resources. Also follow @CollierEM on social media for live updates.
Charlotte County (Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Englewood)
- Charlotte County Emergency Management — Hurricanes — Evacuation zones, shelter information, and storm readiness for Charlotte County and Punta Gorda.
- Charlotte County — Know Your Zone — Interactive evacuation zone map. Note: Charlotte County has very low elevation and may not be able to open any shelters in-county during a major storm. Have a plan to evacuate inland.
- Charlotte County Disaster Planning Guide (PDF) — Comprehensive local guide including phone numbers, shelter sites, and preparation checklists.
Local Media — Storm Tracking & Live Coverage
- NBC2 (WBBH) — First Alert Weather & Hurricane Tracker — Fort Myers / Naples / Cape Coral’s primary local news station for storm coverage. First Alert Hurricane Tracking Team covers SWFL storms extensively.
- NBC2 News — Live Coverage & Breaking News
- WGCU 90.1 FM — Fort Myers/Naples Public Radio — Official emergency broadcast station for Collier County. Broadcasts NWS warnings and emergency instructions during storm events.
- Fox 4 (WFTX) — Southwest Florida Weather — Additional local storm tracking for the SWFL market.
🏠 Home Preparation Resources
Protecting your home before a storm is your best defense against catastrophic loss. The resources below will help you understand what steps to take well in advance of a storm — not the day before it arrives.
Florida-Specific Home Hardening
- Florida Division of Emergency Management — Plan & Prepare — Florida-specific home and family preparedness guidance, evacuation planning tools, and supply checklists.
- Florida Disaster Supply Kit Checklist (Printable)
- Florida Building Commission — Product Approval Search — Look up product approval numbers for impact windows, doors, and garage doors to verify they meet Florida Building Code standards.
- IBHS FORTIFIED Home Program — Information on voluntary home construction certification for higher wind resistance standards.
Shutters, Windows, Roof & Structural Preparation
- Ready.gov — Hurricanes: Before, During & After — Federal guidance on securing your home, including what to do about windows, doors, roofs, trees, and outdoor furniture well before a storm arrives.
- Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) — Non-profit resource for home hardening guides, contractor tips, and hurricane preparedness information specific to Florida construction.
- City of Naples — Hurricane Preparedness & Emergency Checklist — Locally focused checklist including pet planning, home preparation, and supply guidance.
Insurance & Documentation
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation — Wind Mitigation Resources — Official state resource explaining wind mitigation discounts, the OIR-B1-1802 form, and your rights as a policyholder.
- Florida CFO — Homeowner Hurricane Insurance Guide — Understanding your hurricane, flood, and windstorm coverage before a storm is critical. Do not wait until after a loss to read your policy.
🎒 Personal & Family Preparedness — Supplies & Planning
Plan for at least 7 days of self-sufficiency. During and immediately after a major hurricane, emergency services may be unavailable for days. Do not rely on being able to buy supplies once a storm is announced — store shelves empty within hours of a storm watch.
Supply Checklists
- Ready.gov — Build an Emergency Supply Kit — Comprehensive federal checklist covering water, food, medications, documents, power outage supplies, and special needs items. Printable version available.
- Florida Department of Health — Build a Kit — Florida-specific guidance with links to multiple printable supply checklists from the Red Cross, FEMA, and the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
- American Red Cross — Emergency Survival Kit Supplies — Detailed kit list from the Red Cross including first aid essentials, hygiene products, and communication tools.
Family & Evacuation Planning
- Ready.gov — Make a Family Emergency Plan — Free fillable family communication plan template. Know where to meet, how to communicate, and where to go before you need to figure it out under pressure.
- Florida Get a Plan — Family Disaster Planning — State of Florida’s family disaster planning resource with tools to create and document your household emergency plan.
- Florida Disaster — Plan & Prepare — Evacuation route information, shelter finder, and statewide emergency planning tools.
Pet Preparedness
- Ready.gov — Preparing Your Pets for Emergencies — Most public emergency shelters do not accept pets. Have a plan for your animals before a storm threatens. This includes identification tags, vaccination records, carriers, food, water, and a list of pet-friendly hotels and boarding facilities along your evacuation route.
- American Red Cross — Pet Preparedness
📱 Free Alert Apps & Notification Systems
Sign up for your county alert system NOW — before storm season. Do not wait until a storm is in the Gulf to register. These systems are free and can be the difference between getting an evacuation order in time and not.
- AlertLee (Lee County) — Free emergency mass notification for Lee County residents via text, phone, and email. Also available as a free smartphone app. Lee County residents should register here.
- Alert Collier (Collier County) — Sign up through CollierEM.org for emergency notifications. Registration also enrolls you in the Special Needs program if applicable.
- Alert Charlotte (Charlotte County) — Emergency notification sign-up for Charlotte County and Punta Gorda area residents.
- FEMA App (Free — iPhone & Android) — Real-time weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five locations. Locate emergency shelters, get safety tips, and connect with FEMA disaster assistance. One of the most useful free tools available.
- National Weather Service — Miami (SWFL coverage) — Official NWS forecasts, watches, warnings, and advisories for Southwest Florida. Bookmark this page.
- NOAA National Hurricane Center — The authoritative source for tropical storm and hurricane tracking, forecasts, and advisories. Updated every 6 hours; more frequently when storms are active.
- NOAA NESDIS Live Hurricane Tracker — Live satellite imagery and storm tracker from the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service.
- AlertFlorida — Statewide Emergency Alerts — Florida’s statewide emergency alerting sign-up portal. Also includes the Florida Storms app, which streams emergency broadcasts from WGCU 90.1 and other public radio stations statewide.
- Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) — Make sure your phone is set to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts. These are the loud alert tones your phone broadcasts automatically during life-threatening emergencies. Verify your phone settings now — especially if you use Do Not Disturb mode.
🌐 State & Federal Resources
- FloridaDisaster.org — Florida Division of Emergency Management — Official state emergency management portal for preparedness, active storm information, shelter locations, and disaster recovery.
- FEMA — Hurricane Preparedness — Federal preparedness guidance, disaster assistance registration, and post-storm recovery resources.
- Ready.gov — Hurricanes — What to do before, during, and after a hurricane. One of the most complete free preparedness resources available.
- American Red Cross — Hurricane Preparedness — Shelter finder, preparedness checklists, and post-storm support information.
- DisasterAssistance.gov — FEMA Disaster Relief Applications — Apply for federal assistance after a declared disaster. Bookmark this before storm season.
- FloodSmart.gov — National Flood Insurance Program — Information about flood insurance, which is separate from standard homeowner’s insurance and covers storm surge damage that wind policies do not. If you do not have flood insurance, research this before the next storm threatens.
Links on this page are provided as a public service and are verified at the time of publication. External sites are maintained by their respective government agencies, news organizations, or non-profit organizations and are not affiliated with Wind-Mitigation.info. For life-threatening emergencies always call 911.