Lee County closely monitoring Tropical Depression No. 9
Lee County is closely monitoring Tropical Depression No. 9 in the Caribbean.
The county will make decisions regarding activation levels at the Emergency Operations Center based on the forecast. There is no State of Local Emergency declared at this time.
Residents are encouraged to monitor local media outlets for updates as well as Lee County Government channels at www.leegov.com or Lee County Public Safety Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LeePublicSafety.
Hurricane preparedness tips and information is at www.leegov.com/hurricane or here on The Breeze website under Hurricane Guide 2022.
Sign up now for AlertLee (www.alertlee.com) and download the Lee Prepares App on your mobile device.
Lee County Natural Resources and the Lee County Department of Transportation prepare year-round for excessive rain events, particularly during the traditional hurricane season, county officials said.
“DOT’s maintenance on drainage ditches, for example, has helped prepare the county’s roads for necessary drainage during rainfall events,” a release issued this morning states. “During heavy rainfall, it will take the infrastructure time to drain. Expect minor intersection and road flooding.”
With so many newcomers in Southwest Florida, the county remind residents that roadside ditches and swales are designed to drain. However, they may hold water for some time during significant rain events.
“The county is aware residents in areas that experienced heavy rainfall Sept. 16 and 17 may have concerns,” the release states.
“Countywide, Lee has experienced average rainfall this year. Since last weekend, the county’s weir structures have been open and are allowing areas to drain steadily. Staff is observing lower water levels in the drainage system since last weekend, which means there is additional capacity to handle anticipated rainfall.
“Lee County DOT is prepared to stage equipment near areas that typically experience flooding. The county also continues to coordinate with its fire district partners to ensure accessibility in areas that typically experience wet roadways.”
Residents are encouraged to check for debris and obstructions around their properties, including driveway culverts and neighborhood ditches. Private communities should inspect their internal drainage systems’ outfalls and grates.
“County staff stands ready to continue monitoring and adjusting as necessary throughout the anticipated storm event,” officials said.
– Source: Lee County Government