During hurricane season in Florida being prepared is not just important. It is critical. If and when a storm approaches, such as Hurricane Ian that is currently affecting Lee County Florida, it is advised to be prepared. Specifically it is important to have a plan in place, properly prepare your home before the storm, know your evacuation zone and know the evacuation routes. It’s also important to know where your nearest hurricane shelters are in case you need to go to one. But often people are not sure where their community’s shelters are, which is why we made this guide.
Other helpful resources:
- Hurricane Preparedness Plan: how to protect your home and family from a hurricane
- Southwest Florida Hurricane Evacuation Zones
Where to Find Local Emergency Public Shelters in Lee County
See your county and specific area below to find your local emergency public shelters.
List of Lee County Hurricane Shelters
See the list: Lee County Emergency Public Shelters
According to their site Lee County has 19 shelters, which are in the cities/neighborhoods listed below.
- Cape Coral has one shelter location, which is at the Island Coast High School
- Estero has two shelters, including Hertz Arena
- Fort Myers, has four shelters, which are at the Dunbar High School, Gateway High School, South Fort Myers High, and Treeline Elementary
- Lehigh Acres, has 7 hurricane shelters, which are local schools plus the Veteran’s Park Recreation Center
- North Fort Myers has two shelter locations
- San Carlos has one hurricane shelter, which is at Alico Arena
- Tice has two shelters at Manatee Elementary and Oak Hammock Middle School (both on Tice St)
It is important to note that the Lee County site states that “NOT all shelters will be open for every event”.
You can also visit Lee County’s Storm Updates page. On this page you will find status updates on any storms affecting the area. In addition they have a dedicated section on the page for shelter information. You can find this under the “Available Resources” heading by clicking on the “Shelters” section.
Emergency Pet Shelters in Lee County FL
One question that is critical to anyone with a pet is “which hurricane shelters allow pets in Lee County.” Be advised that not all emergency public shelters in the county allow pets. And the only pets these shelters accept are cats and dogs. So if you have a pet you will need to go to a specific shelter that does. According to the county site the location of the pet shelters change and depend on the the storm. They advise you to listen to local You can find out more about Lee County Pet Shelters at the county’s Mandatory Evacuation Pet Shelter page.
More Information
More detailed information can be found at the Lee County