Storm prep eased post-Milton recovery efforts, LCSO says

For many Southwest Florida residents, Hurricane Milton felt different from the systems that came before it. In the context of post-storm rescue efforts, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said it was. 

While hurricanes can be anticipated and planned for, they can also have an unpredictable by-product: tornadoes. 

“We have to reassess by the minute to make sure that we’re not going to make anyone be in real harm’s way, like a tornado,” said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.

According to Marceno, residents heeded storm warnings and prepared accordingly, whether that meant stocking up on supplies or evacuating their zone. 

“These calls would be a lot more if people stayed,” said Marceno. “We’ve had zero fatalities reported so far, which is a blessing.”

As a result, deputies were able to focus their response efforts on recovery, instead of rescue. 

During the storm, Lee County deputies patrolled the streets while the incident management team monitored conditions behind the scenes. 

“Minute by minute, hour by hour, they never stopped reporting back and telling us everything that’s going on. From a crack in the pavement, to a road closure, to how many people are in shelters,” said Marceno.

The day after Hurricane Milton made landfall, there were more than 500 calls for service, a significant decrease from Hurricane Ian. 

“The day after Ian, we were over 6,000 calls for service holding,” said Marceno. “People listened this time.”

LCSO said that because Southwest Florida residents heeded evacuation warnings ahead of the storm, deputies were able to respond to the community without putting their own lives at risk.