Lee County Director of Public Safety, Ben Abes. PHOTO PROVIDED

Hurricane Ian brought devastation to Southwest Florida as it arrived Sept. 28 2022 as a Category 4 storm. 

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it was the costliest hurricane in Florida history (third costliest in U.S. history), totaling more than $109 billion in damage throughout the Sunshine State, and $112 billion across all impacted areas. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it was the costliest hurricane in Florida history (third costliest in U..S. history), totaling more than $109 billion in damage throughout the Sunshine State, and $112 billion across all impacted areas. I an was responsible for at least 156 fatalities, 149 of which were in Florida; 72 being in Lee County. Storm surge was the deadliest factor in claiming lives. 

While Ian was an unprecedented event for Southwest Floridians, Lee County staff work year-round to ensure they are prepared for what may come when the Atlantic hurricane seasons kicks off on June 1. From last year to now, there were many lessons learned in the aftermath of Ian. 

Lee County Director of Public Safety Ben Abes, said one of the big things county staff realized is that their plans are scalable. 

“Whether we need to open one, shelter or we need to open every shelter, we have plans that can be scaled however is needed,” Abes said. “And we have plans that scaled really well to the size of the storm we were facing.”

When it comes to debris management, Abes said the county’s plans can extend to whatever the range of scope is needed. After Hurricane Irma, for instance, the county collected 12 million cubic yards of debris. 

“It’s a monumental task that takes a lot of resources,” Abes said. “And it takes a lot of time. So, setting expectations and making sure that the community is prepared for what it’s going to take for us to address those issues is very important as well.”

Abes said another lesson learned after Ian came via the utility system — the drinking and wastewater systems impacted by the storm. 

“Those plans were quickly scaled up to be able to answer the demands, and within a couple of days, we saw parts of the system re-pressurize and drinking and waste water were starting to be restored. 

“I think the biggest lessons for us is that the plans have to be able to scale to any size of an event. (Ian) will be the yardstick by which other events in our community are measured.”

With hindsight being 20/20, Abes said there are lots of details that have been looked over and tweaked, and will continue to be revised as the season draws closer. 

“There are going to be lots of things that we’re going to go back and review and make the adjustments,” Abes said. “A plan or a procedure that’s implemented for a tropical storm or Category 1 doesn’t necessarily work in a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. 

“Right now, we’re undergoing an after-action review process with all of our county departments, with stakeholders and other partners, to be able to identify those areas where we need to make changes or improvements. We expect we’ll have that report in mid to late summer.”

In the meantime, Abes said each arm of the county and its partners are in constant communication to refine things ahead of this year’s season. He said tight bonds are created with emergency management teams across the state and Southeastern United States, as many prepare and face the same potential impacts to their communities each year. 

“Whether you are the recipient of assistance, or you are the entity that is coming to help out, there’s not only a great sense of pride in being able to go and assist somebody who is going through an event like (Ian) —  for those agencies that responded to and assisted us — but there is a very close bond with those agencies that have also gone through storms and difficult events.”

Abes said teams from across the country came to Lee County to help out after the storm, including personnel from the Florida Panhandle, who are still working to recover from Hurricane Ian. 

“They not only assisted us with the actual response to the storm, but also, I think provided some comfort to the staff and sharing that ‘We’re going to get through this and find a way to get the community through this.’ 

“And time and time again we see examples where the hard work early on has yielded a very rapid response and recovery for a lot of areas in the county.”

Lee County Commissioners also unanimously voted to put together a Resiliency Recovery Task Force, led by Commissioner Kevin Ruane, to collaborate as a community to combine efforts for recovery and rebuilding Southwest Florida. The task force will review and endorse priorities for consideration by the State Legislature and provide a unified voice for the interests of the county, its residents, businesses, and nonprofits. 

“Hurricane Ian did catastrophic damage to our community, but our commitment to recovery has never wavered,” Ruane said. “Leaders from both the public and private sector are part of the Lee County Recovery Task Force and for months have been working to meet the needs of our neighbors, working to rebuild lives and communities throughout Lee County.”

The task force will tackle areas such as planning and capacity, infrastructure, economic recovery, housing, education and workforce, natural resources, health and social services, and cultural resources. 

“The task force – called ResilientLee – welcomes public participation,” Ruane said.  “Meetings are monthly and live-streamed, or you can attend in person. There are also branch meetings residents can attend.”

April and May featured 16 town-hall style meetings for the public. Visit www.resilientlee.com for more information.