Costs are still rising after Hurricane Milton caused $280 million in damage to residential and commercial properties and government infrastructure in Collier County.
That number doesn’t include ongoing costs involving infrastructure, stormwater management, maintenance and cleanout, county Emergency Management Director Dan Summers told the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 22 as he laid out the Growth Management Department’s rapid assessment of the Oct. 9 hurricane.
“I’ve never seen a storm event with this much tornadic activity,” Summers said of Milton, which made landfall with 120 mph winds as a Category 3 storm more than 150 miles north of Collier in Siesta Key in Sarasota County.
Winds reached 60 mph in Collier and the highest storm tide in Naples reached 5.8 feet, but that paled in comparison to Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022, whose heavy rains and storm surge caused $2.2 billion in damage to Collier — and rebuilding is ongoing.
Summers provided commissioners with an after-action summary of the impact, noting Collier received about 48,000 gallons of fuel from the state at no charge through SeaPort Manatee, most trucked in from Louisiana and Alabama. During power outages and fluctuations, that fuel was used at the county’s lift stations, plants and shelters, where about 2,900 people stayed.
“Port Manatee became quite congested, and deliveries got backed up,” Summers said, praising the state because Collier never ran out of fuel.
SeaPort Manatee is Southwest Florida’s primary deep-water seaport and receives fuel, produce, appliances, construction materials and wood for distribution across Southwest Florida and the Southeast. Initial assessments indicated $225 million in losses and on Oct. 14, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced SeaPort Manatee would receive $9.5 million to jumpstart its recovery and help repair infrastructure.
Summers thanked commissioners for declaring a state of emergency Oct. 7, which allows states to receive federal support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for life-saving activities and other emergency protective measures, such as evacuations, sheltering and search and rescue.
Power outages hit 85% of service areas, and saltwater impacting electrified aluminum and copper is still causing outages and fluctuations, Summers said, noting Florida Power & Light and Lee County Electric Cooperative continue to rinse circuit breakers. But, he said, that can cause power outages, or a tree leaning on a pole can cause a phase to drop out, so mitigation strategies are addressing that.
Many supermarkets and retailers, including Publix, Sam’s Club, Costco and Wawa, were able to reopen quickly because they had generators, he said, and hospitals also fared well. He noted the county’s water and wastewater facilities experienced no problems.
“We know that these hurricane events continue to impact lives and folks are in various stages of recovery and we’re sensitive to that,” Summers said, adding that Collier treats recovery like a marathon. “The response is one thing; recovery is quite another and we’re working really hard to make sure that every program and resource is leveraged.”
The county sent out 21 press releases and wrote 331 social media posts, which earned 2.5 million views, the county’s storm response webpage had 593,000 visitors, and the county’s 311 line, which is tailored to lessen 911 calls, received 2,234 calls. Summers noted that only 5% of 713,576 residents who received emergency calls, emails and text messages through Alert Collier’s warning system acknowledged receipt, so their alerts continued.
“I understand they get a little annoying, but … we want those people to say, ‘Hey, not only did I get it, I acknowledged it,’” Summers said, noting that county officials feel better knowing they received the alert.
Commission Chair Chris Hall said residents probably didn’t know they should respond, so the county needs to get that message out, so residents don’t treat it like “the boy that cried wolf” during repeated tornado warnings. “Tornadoes can come on you in a heartbeat,” Hall said of the 18 tornado warnings confirmed by radar. “… You need to be prepared.”
Summers said Disaster Ready Collier, a nonprofit incorporated in February, is communicating with more than 300 faith-based nonprofit groups to provide supply needs, so residents can use that and also register with FEMA through its app or 800 number. If residents need help finding resources, he said, they can call 311 and county employees will assist.
“If FEMA calls you or sends you a letter, respond immediately,” he said, adding that inspectors are on a timeline to provide assistance.
It’s uncertain when the county will open a federal Disaster Recovery Center, but Collier expects to hear from FEMA soon, Summers said, noting FEMA set up a webpage to dispel numerous rumors.
Commissioner Rick LoCastro said he was “bombarded” with emails by residents in his district complaining that he was the worst commissioner because there are no emergency shelters in his district, which covers East Naples, Marco Island, Goodland, Isles of Capri and Port of the Islands. He suggested Collier publicize why schools in the top evacuation zone can’t be used. He also recommended purchasing generators to back up traffic lights, something County Manager Amy Patterson said can be done once the county receives state and federal disaster funds.
