SWFL schools affected due to MiltonCharlotte County residents fear Helene debris will worsen with incoming Milton
SWFL schools affected due to Milton Southwest Florida schools are responding ahead of Tropical Storm Milton’s arrival.
Charlotte County residents fear Helene debris will worsen with incoming Milton Some in Charlotte County are worried about piles of debris leftover from Hurricane Helene as Tropical Storm Milton makes its way to Florida.
TS Milton continues to organize and strengthen in the SW Gulf, heading east Tropical Storm Milton continues to strengthen in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, and it is predicted to reach hurricane status in less than 24 hours.
FORT MYERS Lee County officials held Facebook Live update ahead of Milton The Lee County Public Safety Director, Ben Abes, and the county commissioners are set to provide updates regarding Tropical Storm Milton.
SANIBEL Sanibel officials to provide live update on storm preparations ahead of Milton Sanibel’s mayor, Richard Johnson, and the city manager, Dana Souza, are set to provide a live update on storm preparations.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Rain & storms across SWFL throughout Sunday The Weather Authority is tracking heavy rain and storms on Sunday, especially in the afternoon and evening.
TALLAHASSEE DeSantis urges Floridians to prepare for Milton Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference to update the public on preparations for Tropical Storm Milton, which is expected to become a hurricane in less than 24 hours.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY NHC has bumped up Milton’s peak intensity forecast to 120mph The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Storm Milton, the latest named storm which will lead to a week of heavy rain for southwest Florida beginning Sunday.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents loading up on sandbags ahead of Milton With Tropical Storm Milton developing in the tropics and heavy rain expected Sunday, people in Charlotte County are getting prepared by loading up their cars with sandbags.
NORTH FORT MYERS Debris from Helene has neighbors worrying about Milton While many are still trying to pick up the pieces left from Hurricane Helene, residents in North Fort Myers still have a lot of leftover debris piling up.
Free sandbag locations available ahead of this Sunday’s heavy rainfall The Weather Authority has been tracking a potential rainmaker that will impact our area from Sunday through Wednesday.
FEMA urging Florida residents to prepare for Milton FEMA is monitoring Milton which is set to become a Category 3 Hurricane as it makes landfall in Florida on Wednesday.
DeSantis declares state of emergency in 35 Florida counties ahead of Milton In an X post on Saturday evening, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 35 Florida counties ahead of Milton.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents preparing for Tropical Storm Milton Another tropical system is taking aim at Florida. The devastation from Helene is still fresh on the minds of Sanibel residents, and they aren’t wasting time preparing.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County opens resource center for those affected by Helene Charlotte County has opened a multi-agency resource center at the Port Charlotte Town Center to help those affected by Helene.
SWFL schools affected due to Milton Southwest Florida schools are responding ahead of Tropical Storm Milton’s arrival.
Charlotte County residents fear Helene debris will worsen with incoming Milton Some in Charlotte County are worried about piles of debris leftover from Hurricane Helene as Tropical Storm Milton makes its way to Florida.
TS Milton continues to organize and strengthen in the SW Gulf, heading east Tropical Storm Milton continues to strengthen in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, and it is predicted to reach hurricane status in less than 24 hours.
FORT MYERS Lee County officials held Facebook Live update ahead of Milton The Lee County Public Safety Director, Ben Abes, and the county commissioners are set to provide updates regarding Tropical Storm Milton.
SANIBEL Sanibel officials to provide live update on storm preparations ahead of Milton Sanibel’s mayor, Richard Johnson, and the city manager, Dana Souza, are set to provide a live update on storm preparations.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Rain & storms across SWFL throughout Sunday The Weather Authority is tracking heavy rain and storms on Sunday, especially in the afternoon and evening.
TALLAHASSEE DeSantis urges Floridians to prepare for Milton Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference to update the public on preparations for Tropical Storm Milton, which is expected to become a hurricane in less than 24 hours.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY NHC has bumped up Milton’s peak intensity forecast to 120mph The Weather Authority is tracking Tropical Storm Milton, the latest named storm which will lead to a week of heavy rain for southwest Florida beginning Sunday.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda residents loading up on sandbags ahead of Milton With Tropical Storm Milton developing in the tropics and heavy rain expected Sunday, people in Charlotte County are getting prepared by loading up their cars with sandbags.
NORTH FORT MYERS Debris from Helene has neighbors worrying about Milton While many are still trying to pick up the pieces left from Hurricane Helene, residents in North Fort Myers still have a lot of leftover debris piling up.
Free sandbag locations available ahead of this Sunday’s heavy rainfall The Weather Authority has been tracking a potential rainmaker that will impact our area from Sunday through Wednesday.
FEMA urging Florida residents to prepare for Milton FEMA is monitoring Milton which is set to become a Category 3 Hurricane as it makes landfall in Florida on Wednesday.
DeSantis declares state of emergency in 35 Florida counties ahead of Milton In an X post on Saturday evening, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 35 Florida counties ahead of Milton.
SANIBEL Sanibel residents preparing for Tropical Storm Milton Another tropical system is taking aim at Florida. The devastation from Helene is still fresh on the minds of Sanibel residents, and they aren’t wasting time preparing.
PORT CHARLOTTE Charlotte County opens resource center for those affected by Helene Charlotte County has opened a multi-agency resource center at the Port Charlotte Town Center to help those affected by Helene.
hypatia-Santa will be behind protective plexiglass in some malls. (Brookfield Properties) Be prepared for awkward family photos with Santa this year. While the pandemic won’t keep Santa Claus from making an appearance at the mall or at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, don’t count on touching Santa, hugging Santa, or having the kids sit on his lap this year. Some mall operators are even offering Zoom calls with Santa instead of in-person visits. Brookfield Properties, a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management Property Partners and the second-largest mall operator in the country, said Santa will be in 134 of its more than 150 malls. “Santa is an important holiday tradition for many families but we are looking to pivot the experience for safety,” said Rocell Viniard, director of portfolio marketing with Brookfield Properties. The idea, she said, is to enable a “touchless experience” with Santa. That means no sitting on Santa’s lap, said Viniard. In some malls, Santa will sit inside a giant snow globe this year. (Brookfield Properties) Santa will also wear a mask in states with a mask mandate, and guests will be required to do the same. In states with no mask requirement, Santa can wear a mask if he wants to, she said. Brookfield said it is not requiring Santa or mall visitors to sign waivers in locations where masks are not a local or state requirement. Social distancing stickers will show people where to stand, and many properties will have special decor that keeps people six feet away from Santa. “Every [visit] will be contactless. So kids can sit on wrapped packages near Santa, or across the table from Santa and have a conversation. We can still capture the memory for family photos,” said Viniard. In some of its malls where Santa will make an appearance beginning November 20, he’ll meet and greet with families while appearing to sit inside a giant snow globe. In other locations, Santa will be behind a giant picture frame. “Think of this like a drive-up window type of scenario,” said Viniard. “Guests will be able to walk up and have their conversation with Santa and then turn for the framed photo.” Malls are implementing social distancing for Santa. This means no sitting on his lap for family photos. Brookfield Properties) For anyone who wants to skip a trip to the mall, Viniard said Brookfield is also launching a virtual visit with Santa experience, which kicks off on Nov. 1. Reservations can be made through the website ExperienceJingleRing.com. Simon Properties, the largest mall operator in the US, said Santa will also be coming to its malls this year but declined to offer any details. Santa on Zoom and behind plexiglass Mall operator Preit, which owns 19 malls primarily on the East Coast, including the Cherry Hill mall in New Jersey and the Willow Grove mall in Pennsylvania, is placing Santa behind plexiglass. “It’s a plexiglass barrier and Santa in each of our locations will sit behind it. It will have a bench in front of it so kids can sit down and take a photo with Santa,” said Heather Crowell, spokesperson for Preit. Another option is a Zoom visit with Santa for families from their own homes, said Crowell. “In lieu of a photo with Santa, you can have a recording of your Zoom call,” she said, adding that both the in-person and virtual visit with Santa will require a reservation. Crowell said visitors to Preit malls are required to wear masks but children can remove their mask for the photo with Santa and Santa can as well, “since he’s behind Plexiglass.” At the 43 malls operated by Macerich, Santa will start his appearances in late November. Macerich said it will also implement safety protocols for Santa visits, including social distancing, wearing a mask (if the local municipality requires it) and making a reservation to avoid crowding, said Kurt Ivey, vice president of marketing with Macerich. Safety is paramount for Santas working this holiday, according to the head of one Santa school. Rendering of a Santa set at a mall where children will maintain 6 feet distance during their visit. (Brookfield Properties) Rick Rosenthal, or “Santa Rick” as he calls himself, has played Santa at malls and private events for 50 years. He is also dean and cofounder of the Northern Lights Santa Academy, a Santa school in Atlanta which holds training classes twice a year in the spring and fall. Based on his conversations with graduates of the school and other Santas elsewhere, he expects more than 30% of Santas who worked last year won’t be working this holiday season because of the pandemic. “Santas are typically in a minimum of two high-risk categories for the coronavirus. They are usually individuals over the age of 65 and they are overweight,” he said. “So even to do this job in a pandemic can be life-threatening.”