Hurricane 2006

Tropical storms and hurricanes seem to be headed at Southwest Florida one after the other like snowballs the past few weeks. Some Islanders say the experience is making them storm savvy, while others say they’re storm weary. The statistical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is Wednesday, Sept. 10. The month of September averages three storms a year; this year, there have been four tropical cyclones watched by forecasters in the first week of September alone, according to the National Hurricane Center. Full story »

Don’t panic but be on guard. That’s the message Collier Commissioners hoped to convey to residents Sunday about Hurricane Ike, whose path was pushed farther from Southwest Florida in Sunday weather predictions. County commissioners declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the storm, but are holding off initiating evacuations or setting curfews as the storm passes over Cuba. Full story »

Collier County was included in the Presidential Emergency Declaration for Tropical Storm Fay Friday. This declaration makes federal disaster relief funds for residential storm-related horticultural debris collection available through FEMA and removes earlier restrictions on how the yard debris is bundled. Full story »

A federal disaster declaration Gov. Charlie Crist requested Wednesday could help pay an estimated $7.4 million tab Tropical Storm Fay left in Collier County. Yards remained flooded, canals brimmed and thousands of people spent another day Wednesday without power in Collier County, a day after Fay made landfall at Cape Romano early Tuesday. The storm soaked parts of Collier County with 8 inches of rain, but Fay was just getting started on a cross-state slog that could dump 30 inches of rain on Florida’s central Atlantic coast, forecasters said. Full story »

Tropical Storm Fay came and went early Tuesday like a windy one-night stand, leaving Southwest Floridians to assess the damage to their homes and property, and begin a messy cleanup that will take days. But despite reports of isolated flooding and scattered roof damage, Collier County Emergency Management officials attributed the overall lack of serious injuries or major property damage from the storm to good planning and, frankly, a lot of luck. Full story »

Peace and quiet usually reign on Cape Romano, but the isolated barrier island has its days at the eye of the storm. One of them was Tuesday, when Tropical Storm Fay barreled ashore at the same spot on Collier County’s southern coastline where Hurricane Wilma made landfall in October 2005. “Cape Romano seems to be a target,” said Gary Lytton, manager of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which includes Cape Romano. Full story »

A community by community look at how Tropical Storm Fay affected Collier County. Full story »

A rainy, windy day might not be much to celebrate but that’s not stopping Vetta Renzello. Renzello, who owns Nana Vetta’s Country Diner in Golden Gate, turns 63 Wednesday, thankful that Tropical Storm Fay wasn’t more destructive and thankful for a restaurant full of hungry people who have no electricity. Full story »

While many officials and residents said Tropical Storm Fay was relatively insignificant in its effects, it left many people uncomfortable at the least. About 8,600 Marco Island residents began Tuesday without power and 250 of them started the day without water. Full story »

Braced for a hard hit, southwest Collier County residents woke with relief Tuesday morning to find their world not much changed. Sure, Tropical Storm Fay made landfall just southeast of Marco Island. And yes, nearly 9,000 homes and businesses lost power early Tuesday morning. Full story »

In Everglades City, Tropical Storm Fay brought more pleasure than pain. At least for the kids and dogs. Puddles of rippling water became a wading pool for Camden Koeppen, 2, and his sister, Lillian Koeppen, 1, who danced and splashed while wearing only diapers outside their home on North Copeland Avenue. Full story »

Helen Drummond wasted no time cleaning up the debris in her yard this morning. Full story »

Marco Island Police and Fire personnel are reporting significant road flooding in the wake of Tropical Storm Fay. Full story »

Tracking Tropical Storm Fay? Use these links! Full story »

Weary officials from all over Collier County were grateful Tuesday morning for the few difficulties experienced. Some 20,000 people in Collier are without power. It was not clear when it would be restored. According to county spokesman John Torre 178 spent the night at the three high schools designated as shelters: 50 at Golden Gate, 72 at Immokalee and 56 at Palmetto Ridge, 40 of which were special needs residents. The strongest wind gust registered so far was 68 miles per hour right at the Collier Government Center. Full story »