During a brief address on Fort Myers Beach, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said he had no deaths nor looting incidents to report in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
“This is much different than Ian, and I believe the reason being not only just the storm and where it hits and everything else,” Marceno said, later adding that Lee County residents in vulnerable areas evacuated ahead of Hurricane Milton.
When Hurricane Ian slammed into Southwest Florida on Sept. 28, 2022, Marceno said for comparison, officials received about 7,000 calls for service — about half of those requesting welfare checks.
“Everyone, if not the vast majority, listened and got away from this storm,” Marceno said. “They sheltered before the storm came in.”
Marceno said storms like Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Milton are looked at in three phases — before, during and after.
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“Before the storm, getting that message out is critical,” Marceno said. “Having people understand that Mother Nature is unpredictable and comes through fast. Surge is what kills people.”