NWS Irma wind speeds for Saturday.
Lee County, Florida – home to Fort Myers – has issued expanded mandatory evacuation orders as forecast models show Hurricane Irma has been shifting to the west, increasingly imperiling the western coast.
Here’s the latest information as of 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 9 that lists all evacuation orders For Lee County, which includes Fort Myers.
“Lee County Emergency Management has announced additional mandatory evacuations effectively immediately for Evacuation Zone B south of the Caloosahatchee in Fort Myers and Zone B south of Pine Island Road in Cape Coral.
A previous announcement put in place mandatory evacuations of Evacuation Zone A and portions of the Imperial River basin between East Terry, Bonita Beach Road and Interstate 75. That includes:
All of the barrier islands (Boca Grande/Gasparilla, Cayo Costa, Useppa, Cabbage Key, North Captiva, Captiva, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, San Carlos Island, Bonita Beach)
Cape Coral west of Burnt Store Road and south of Cape Coral Parkway, east of Del Prado Boulevard to Viscaya Parkway
North Fort Myers south of Bay Shore Road from Moody Road to State Road 31 and areas south of North River Road from State Road 31 to Fichters Creek.
Areas of Iona south of Maple Drive, west of U.S. 41
San Carlos Park west of U.S. 41,
Estero west of U.S. 41, north of the Estero River
Bonita Springs communities along Estero Bay and the Imperial River Basin.”
To see if you are in Evacuation Zone A, you can refer to this county map:
Hurricane conditions are now listed as possible on Sunday for Fort Myers, and a Hurricane Warning has now been issued for the area.
Saturday midday forecast for Fort Myers.
As of 9 a.m. Saturday, here is the current status of Lee County shelters:
“The following shelters are full:
Estero Recreation Center
Varsity Lakes Middle School
Island Coast High School
South Fort Myers High School
Space is available at other shelters open now:
East Lee County High School, 715 Thomas Sherwin Ave. Lehigh Acres
Harns Marsh MIddle School, 1820 Unice Ave. North Lehigh Acres
Oak Hammock Middle School, Fort Myers
These shelters will open at 10 a.m.:
Ray V. Pottorf Elementary, 4600 Challenger Blvd., Fort Myers
FGCU’s Alico Arena, 10501 FGCU Boulevard South, Estero
Germain Arena, 11000 Everglades Parkway, Estero
Note:
Pets are welcome at all shelters. Evacuees are reminded to bring crates or at least have pets on leashes. Germain Arena advises they do not have pet-sheltering capabilities. However, no one will be turned away from the shelter while capacity remains.” Other shelters may be opened later.
The county’s website has an interactive map in which you can select layers for open shelters, evacuation routes, active evacuations, and evacuation zones, if it comes to that.
Lee County also announced on September 7, “Tolls at Lee County’s three bridges – Midpoint, Cape Coral and Sanibel Causeway – are suspended until further notice.”
Here’s the Saturday morning forecast cone from the National Hurricane Center:
The latest map of Hurricane Irma as of 11 a.m. on September 9.
The threat of dangerous major hurricane impacts to Florida was reported as increasing.
See the latest radar for Fort Myers and other areas around it here. Keep updated on the weather for Fort Myers and surrounding areas here.