Marco Island preparing for potential storm impacts

Marco Island’s city manager did not mince words when he let residents on the island know they need to prepare for the possible storm next week.

The city manager said to lock everything down, figure out what arrangements need to be made, and batten down the hatches.

City leaders told WINK News they’re trying to plan tactically because when Hurricane Irma hit Marco Island, the big concern was the storm surge.

While it remains too early to say for sure if that will be the biggest issue again with the potential storm possibly landing in Southwest Florida, the city’s making sure everyone gets the message to prepare now.

“We start looking about notifications to construction sites and being sure that other people are securing the things they need to secure,” Mike McNees, the city manager for Marco Island said.

WINK News asked McNees if Marco Island had an evacuation plan in place in case the storm does come toward SWFL.

“It’s too early to say and that in and of itself doesn’t tell us much,” McNees said. “It’s what are the potentials for storms surge look like what did the winds look like?”

Marco Island residents aren’t very worried yet, but McNees told WINK News his own plans for the weekend mean preparing for the worst.

“Everything that can fly is battened down and that the place is secured,” McNees said. McNees is hopeful that everyone, or as many people as possible, do the same and prepare.

“The message at this point is be prepared for anything,” McNees said.

The city will not provide any sandbags, telling WINK News any shelters would be through Collier County Emergency Management.