Collier County Shelter Information, Locations and Media Outlets

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Public Refuges

If you elect to go to a public refuge, here are some important items that you will need to remember:

• Refuges are not hotels!  They will not be able to provide you with any conveniences or luxuries.  Bring your families' disaster survival kit to ensure proper provisions.
• Refuges have a community environment which consists of a large number of people.  It is important to be considerate and cooperative and follow the instructions of the refuge management team.  Volunteer your services whenever possible.
• Another thing you may experience during your refuge stay is the shortage or rationing of food especially for the first few hours.  This will be  a temporary condition: you will not starve!  Take your disaster survival kit with you.  Weapons and liquor are not permitted in refuges under any circumstances, and could lead to your arrest.
• Under no circumstances are pets allowed in refuges.  The only exceptions are dogs certified to assist the hearing or vision impaired.  You need to make other arrangements to ensure your pet's safety and care.  There are hotels and motels which accept pets in emergency situations.  For more information contact Collier County Domestic Animal Services.
• Try to be patient and cheerful about the situation, and your attitude will help the overall morale of the entire group.  Rumors can become widespread during a prolonged refuge stay and they are usually very disruptive.  Listen only to official information and refuse to pass on another person's speculations.
• When you arrive in the refuge, give your names and address to the refuge manager so that you can be located, if necessary.  If you decide to leave the refuge, tell the refuge manager where you are going.  This helps the management team by telling them how many people require services.  If friends or family are looking for you this helps us tell them where they may find you.  You will not be permitted to check into and out of a refuge as if it were a hotel.

• If you, a family member, or a friend are disabled, handicapped, or elderly infirm, and in an emergency would need assistance evacuating to a Special Needs refuge, call your local Emergency Management Department.  In Collier County we may be reached at (941) 774 8444, or via e-mail.
• If you, a friend or a loved one require 24 hour skilled medical care, consult with your doctor.  Hospitals are not used as refuges, and require pre-admission by your doctor, who must demonstrate medical necessity for admission during a hurricane threat.

Because of the variation in storm surge levels we may experience, depending on the track, intensity, and forward speed of the storm, it is impossible to project which refuges will be opened in any given storm.  The storm surge threat must be evaluated in each case, and a decision made to open specific refuges.   Listen to local media to find out what areas should be evacuated, what refuges will be opened, and when.

In a tropical storm, few refuges are needed (especially in an exiting or paralleling event), because few people are in harm's way.  In a category four or five storm (especially a landfalling storm coming from the Gulf, an extremely rare event) the surge would reach inland so far that few refuges would be available, even though much of the county may have to be evacuated.   Remember: run from water, hide from wind.  The exception: mobile home and RV residents, who should evacuate regardless of the surge threat.

 

Courtesy Naples Daily News CORRECTION The map above, created by the Naples Daily News for the 2000 hurricane season insert, originally incorrectly showed Everglades Boulevard as an evacuation route from US 41 north to CR 858.  Everglades Boulevard is not used as an evacuation route from the US 41 area, but only for residents of the north and south blocks for whom it is the only access/egress road. Evacuees going north from US 41 should use CR 951 and SR 29. The map at left has been corrected to reflect the recommended Everglades Boulevard route. Collier/Lee County I-75 Improvement Project

Courtesy SW Fla. Regional Planning Council Above is a map of shelter locations in relation to stormwater inundation .

PRIMARY SHELTERS
1. Barron Collier High School, 5600 Cougar Drive (off Airport Road north of Pine Ridge Rd.) (also special needs)
 2. Gulf Coast High School, 7878 Immokalee Road
 3. Oak Ridge Middle School, 151 Collier Blvd. (CR 951)
 4. East Naples Middle School, 4100 Estey Avenue
 5. Lely High School, 1 Lely High School Blvd.
 6. Lely Elementary School, 8125 Lely Cultural Parkway
 7. Golden Gate Middle School, 2701 48th Terrace SW
 8. Golden Gate Elementary School, 4911 20th Place SW
 9. Big Cypress Elementary School, 3250 Golden Gate Blvd. SW
10. Golden Terrace Elementary School, 2711 44th Terrace SW
11. Laurel Oak Elementary School, 7800 Immokalee Road
12. Pelican Marsh Elementary School, 9480 Airport-Pulling Rd. N.
13. Pine Ridge Middle School, 1515 Pine Ridge Road
14. Corkscrew Elementary School, 1065 CR 858
15. Naples High School, 1100 Golden Eagle Circle
16. Vineyards Elementary School, 6225 Arbor Blvd.
17. Immokalee High School, 701 Immokalee Drive, Immokalee
18. Immokalee Middle School, 401 North 9th Street, Immokalee
19. Immokalee-Collier County Health Department Clinic (special needs), 419 North 1st Street, Immokalee
20. Highlands Elementary School, 1101 Lake Trafford Road, Immokalee
21. Pinecrest Elementary School, 213 South 9th Street, Immokalee
22. (deleted)
23. Lake Trafford Elementary School, 3500 Lake Trafford Road, Immokalee
24. Village Oaks Elementary School, 1601 SR 29, Immokalee

For evacuees from the East or North, the following shelters MIGHT be opened as HOST SHELTERS:

A.  Gulfview Elementary, 255 6th St., S.
B.  Naples Park Elementary, 685 111th Ave., N.
C.  Manatee Elementary, 1880 Manatee Rd.

All schools in the county can be used as refuges after the storm threat has passed.

NOTE: Barron Collier High School is the primary "Special Needs refuge."

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Media Outlets

For the latest official public information, listen only to LOCAL media:

AM RADIO

• WINK      1200    Ft. Myers
• WNOG      1270    Naples
• WODX      1480    Marco Island
• WMIB      1660    Marco Island
• WAFZ      1490    Immokalee (Spanish/English)

• WSRX      89.5    Naples
• WGCU      90.1    Ft. Myers/Naples (PBS/EAS Primary)
• WMKO      91.7    Marco Island (PBS Satellite/EAS Primary)
• WTLT      93.5    Ft. Myers/Naples
• WARO      94.5    Naples/Ft. Myers
• WINK      96.9    Ft. Myers
• WGUF      98.9    Naples
• WAVV     101.1    Naples
• WXRM     100.1    Naples
• WSGL     104.7    Naples (EAS Secondary)
• (Broadcasts live from the EOC during emergencies.)
• WQNU     105.5    Ft. Myers/Naples

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