Anytime a storm hits near Cape Coral, there is a fear that canals will overflow and cause significant issues.
If a storm hits north of Cape Coral, there is a likely chance the canals will overflow. In that case, it’s essential to prepare your home and yourself.
No matter where you live, it’s important to evaluate your situation and decide what is safest for you and your loved ones.
WINK News spoke with Cape Coral Fire Department Chief Ryan Lamb, who said the city would take precautionary measures if a hurricane makes landfall.
He encourages residents not only to have a plan in place but take a minute to evaluate personal risk.
“If we see something like this coming, the city will take steps like removing grates and lowering wires, so we can get that water out quickly. A lot of our issues isn’t about the volume of water, it’s about the intensity. So, a high volume in a short amount of time is where we see a lot of that flooding. But if we get a lot of rain but it’s spread over a whole day, it’s not as bad. So, we take actions here as a city to prepare our roadways and our systems to get as much water out as quickly as we can,” said Lamb.
Whether this is your first hurricane or you’ve lived in the area a while, it’s important to pay attention and have a plan.
People in Southwest Florida are looking for all kinds of things this weekend in preparation for the storm. Things like water, batteries, and non-perishable foods.
WINK News went to Target, Publix, and Walmart stores to talk to people about how ready they feel they would be if a hurricane did come our way.
Some said they don’t feel ready, while others said they feel as prepared as they can be.
“It’s not the wind so much as it is the water, and if you’re in a low-lying area, you better get out because we had Irma, and I’m in a second-story condo, and the water rose up. The storm surge rose up to above our knees and almost flooded out the cars in the carport. So just be aware,” said Peggy Farley, a Cape Coral resident who said she is ready for the storm.
This would be the first hurricane for many folks who may be new to the area, but everyone WINK News spoke with is hoping the storm dissipates.