SWFL prepares for the possibilities with more activity in tropics

The time is now to prepare for the Tropical Depression, whether it’s your home, getting groceries or grabbing sandbags. It’s not the time to worry but to get ready time for whatever the storm could bring.

Neighbors in Southwest Florida are preparing for Tropical Depression 13 Thursday night.

A Fort Myers man we spoke to is urging people to not only prepare now but get familiar with supplies and equipment.

San Carlos Park Fire Department wants to help community members by already opening up its sand supply to the people living in the community.

In anticipation of strong storms, people are making sure their homes are protected, their pets are safe and they know where to get supplies like sand.

“I have been through Charlie, Wilma and now Irma,” Brennan Whitely said.

During Irma, Whitley put up storm shutters around his home but was a few short, leaving part of his home exposed. It’s a mistake he won’t make again, and one he urges everyone to avoid if possible.

“If it’s a big enough storm and we know in advance, definitely the storm shutters,” Whitley said. “It’s a no-brainer. If you have them, takes a couple hours, throw them up, easy. I do my own yard, so I already have gas on hand always for the generator.”

Whitley is not taking any chances and neither are pet owners.

“We’re definitely getting a lot more attention because we are in the thick of hurricane season,” Sean Pequigney, the manager of the Barker Lounge said.

More people are calling pet boarding facilities like the Barker Lounge.

“They want to check and see what their available options are because a lot of shelters and things of that nature aren’t necessarily animal friendly,” Pequigney said.

Pequigney says many calls are from essential workers who would have to work during severe weather and want to make sure their four-legged friends stay safe.

Pequigney is urging people to make sure their pets are up to date on all their shots in case they need to board the animals. He says you could be turned away from a boarding facility, even during severe weather, for being behind on shot records.

“For you to be able to go out and do your job, you know, you have to be able to make sure that your people, your pups, are taken care of,” Pequigney said.