Evacuations:

Collier County has issued a mandatory evacuation for people who live west and south of US 41, including Marco Island. Evacuation must be completed by 8 Sunday morning when shelters open at
Palmetto Ridge, Gulf Coast, Golden Gate and Immokalee high schools and at Corkscrew, Oak Ridge, North Naples, Golden Gate and Immokalee middle schools. Tolls eastbound on Alligator Alley have been suspended.

Collier’s information hotline is 774-8444 to answer questions concerning Hurricane Wilma.

The Greater Naples Convention and Visitors Bureau activated its Hotel Hotline number, 1-800-785-8252.

Lee County begins mandatory evacuations of the barrier islands Saturday at noon. They include Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Captiva, Bonita Beach, and mobile home housing south of the Caloosahatchee River.

Designated Shelters will open at 2 PM Saturday.

Sanibel Residents can deposit perishables from their refrigerators
and freezers in the dumpsters at the City boat ramp at the east
side of Causeway Boulevard, as they evacuate.

The Sanibel Causeway will be closed for entry onto the Island to
the public, beginning at NOON, Saturday. Those with Hurricane Passes or valid Florida Driver's licenses with a Sanibel address will be able to pass until 7 Sunday morning. The Lobby of the Temporary City Hall, at the Bell Tower Holiday Inn will open Saturday to issue Hurricane Passes. Sanibel City Hall will be open as well Saturday.

The Town of Fort Myers Beach's off-site location is the Masonic Temple on Pine Ridge Road. It will open at noon Saturday and remain open as long as conditions permit.

The Charlotte County Office of Emergency Management is recommending county residents shelter in place. Solid Waste curb-side collection is planned for Saturday.

A mandatory evacuation order for all mobile home dwellers and special needs clients in the Florida Keys goes into effect at 6 a.m., Saturday morning.

Southwest Florida is likely to fall under storm watches Friday with a likely landfall at some point on Sunday. Hurricane Wilma’s larger wind field will increase the risk for tornadoes. And State meteorologist Ben Nelson says Southwest Florida is very prone to storm surge, especially because of Wilma.

“They are one of the most prone coastlines in the country because of their low elevation and the slope of the continental shelf offshore. So they need to prepare for a significant surge as we move on into Sunday especially Sunday night as the forecast stands as it is right now.”

Nelson says Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties may see 12 to 15 foot storm surges, with higher surges up to 17 feet along the Caloosahatchee and Peace Rivers.

People in southwest Florida are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Wilma. The powerful storm is expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico Friday and then turn towards Florida with landfall on Sunday. Residents of the Sunshine State have dealt with five major storms since last year. One of the hurricanes, Charley, decimated the small town of Punta Gorda. Many spent months repairing damage...others were left homeless. Now they’re facing it all over again. From member station W-G-C-U in Fort Myers, Valerie Alker reports.

Despite the long lines at the pumps, Southwest Florida is not in jeopardy of running out of gasoline. People have been waiting to top off their tanks at gas stations around Southwest Florida. In Punta Gorda the truck stop was a buzz Thursday morning with people like Nigel James of Bradenton, on his way home from Miami.

“I’m getting prepared. I’m trying to get my fuel and some food stuff and just wait and see what’s taking place.”

Fuel distributors are in hurricane mode – trucks are running around the clock to keep up with demand. There is an adequate supply of fuel for everyone, says Governor Jeb Bush.

“In fact we have more than 200 million gallons of fuel in its ports, a significantly high number. And the surveys we do of gas stations throughout the state show that there’s ample supplies of fuel and so you don’t have to hoard. Please make sure you have ample supplies of gasoline too when you need to evacuate or shelter in place you have enough fuel to get through the period, but don’t hoard because there’s more than adequate supplies.”

Energy economists say there’s no disruption in the supply and refinery production continues to improve following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Collier county emergency managers issued a mandatory evacuation order for coastal residents and visitors west and south of US 41. About 60 thousand people are affected. People should be out by 8:00 Sunday morning, at which time public shelters will open in Collier. WGCU’s Amy Tardif spent the morning on Marco Island, as people prepare to leave.

Object

Object

Object

Object

Object