Melissa Montoya

Glades County Emergency Management is warning residents their area might have heavy traffic as evacuees from Florida’s west coast travel across the state. Glades County will be hosting a fuel site for evacuees. Drivers licenses will be checked to make sure the fueling station is being used by those fleeing Lee, Sarasota, Collier and Charlotte […]

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the death toll from Ian has risen to 35 deaths. Marceno made the announcement in a Facebook post. Marceno also said there have been about 600 to 700 rescues as of Saturday morning. Marceno said authorities need to notify next of kin before releasing the identities of those who […]

I-75 is now open after the Myakka River overflowed onto I-75 Friday evening. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, due to the rising water, the interstate was closed from mile marker 179 (North Port/Toledo Blade Boulevard) to mile marker 193 (Englewood/Jacaranda Boulevard). Earlier Motorists planning to travel to Southwest Florida on I-75 should seek an […]

There are no emergency services being provided to the barrier islands in Charlotte County at this time. The islands affected at this time is Knight Island, Don Pedro Island and Little Gasparilla Island, said Charlotte County Public Information Officer Brian Gleason. Gleason said those islands were under mandatory evacuation prior to Ian’s arrival, but now […]

Calls to 911 in Collier County are not going through. According to the county, the system is down countywide. If you are in the City of Naples and have an emergency, there are three ways to get emergency help. Text 911 Call 239-213-3000 Flag down a public safety vehicle If you are located in Collier […]

At least four people are dead following Ian’s destructive path on Sanibel. Sanibel City Manager Dana Souza said the four dead have not been identified. Souza did not say how they died. Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith said the Island is not habitable now. “There is right now, not something for us to come home to,” […]

WINK News is back on the air in Southwest Florida on channel 46 WXCW and 96.9 WINK-FM. The station moved to its transmitter site near Babcock Ranch. The broadcast was interrupted after a storm surge from Hurricane Ian breached the station’s broadcast center on Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. NOW: @winknews is back on […]

Update The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said it is not holding back but it’s in “call triage mode.” Meaning, they are rescuing people who are in life-threatening situations. “We are getting a significant number of calls of people trapped by water in their homes,” the sheriff’s office said. “Some are reporting life-threatening medical emergencies in […]

Breaking: The Glades County Sheriff’s Office says it has lost phone service and is working to restore it. They are currently forwarding all 911 calls to Hendry County. Previous: Glades County has opened the following shelters ahead of Hurricane Ian’s arrival. West Glades School will be open. The shelter is pet-friendly, but pets must be […]

Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a State of Emergency as Hurricane Ian churns in the Caribbean. While Florida remains within the cone, there is still uncertainty about where a future hurricane could make landfall. DeSantis’ State of Emergency covers 24 counties within the potential span of Hurricane Ian. In Southwest Florida, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, […]