Washington is sending more money to Lee County to help prepare for a disaster — like Hurricane Ian.

The Environmental Protection Agency is giving more than $19 million to the Collaboratory, the foundation that addresses social, housing, health and other needs in Lee. 

 The millions will allow the Collaboratory to set up four hubs of supplies and services for victims of a future disaster.

"I'm really excited," Tessa LeSage, Chief Impact Officer at the Collaboratory, said. "Seeing this type of support coming into this community, having faced so many disasters...it makes me so happy."

Most of the money will be spent to set up four hubs of supplies and services for disaster victims, primarily in or near disadvantaged communities.

 The Collaboratory headquarters in downtown Fort Myers will be one hub.     The others will be at Franklin Park Elementary school, the IMAG History and Science Center, and Pine Manor Community Center.

 "What it means is that immediately we're going to need people's inputs from those communities," LeSage said. "They already have services at these places, so it's not something entirely new.  But we will be creating something much bigger."

Some of the $19-million will be spent for training so that people can get good-paying construction jobs.

And some even will go to improving stormwater run-off along Ten-Mile Canal, that runs through central Lee.

LeSage said she believes the work done by the Resilient Lee group after Ian convinced EPA that this area needs help. The funding is good for three years.

Mike Walcher is a reporter at WGCU News. He also teaches journalism at Florida Gulf Coast University. He can be reached at mwalcher@wgcu.org. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.