Home Departments Emergency Management & Resilience Historic Hurricanes Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton

• Solid Waste - Trash and Debris Collection

• • Right of Entry Form - For private or gated communities
• Permits for Hurricane Damage Repairs
• Welfare Checks
• Parks and Recreation
• Hurricane FAQs (Helene and Milton)

Emergency Management & Public Safety

• Power has been restored to all Cape Coral LCEC customers who can receive power.
• City teams have completed more than 25,000 initial impact surveys and will begin working with impacted property owners to assist in the process of restoring their properties.
• Public Works crews are inspecting bridges and stop signs across major roadways to ensure safe travel.

Solid Waste

Waste Pro solid waste garbage collection will resume Monday, Oct. 14, on the normally scheduled day for all routes in Cape Coral. This collection is for household garbage only, which includes everyday trash items and all spoiled food.

Two citizen debris drop-off sites opened Wednesday, October 16. They'll be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week until mid-November. Both sites will accept Construction & Demolition debris and vegetative waste from residents with proper ID. No commercial or contractors allowed.

• 1821 Southwest 42nd Street (entrance off Southwest 19th Avenue.)
• 1119 Northwest 31st Avenue (entrance off Northwest 28th Place.)

On Monday, October 21, Cape Coral’s contracted debris hauler will begin Hurricane Milton storm debris pickup throughout the impacted areas of the city. This will give residents time to return to their homes and set debris curbside before collection begins. There will be one pass for construction and demolition debris and one pass for vegetation debris. Storm debris is collected separately from household garbage. Residents are urged to set out all Milton debris today for the city’s contractors to collect. 

Use the following guidelines so that work crews can quickly and efficiently remove debris:

• Most Important – Please set storm debris at the curb away from your normal weekly garbage service; it will be collected and documented separately.
• Place storm debris at the curb in four separate piles: household garbage, appliances (white goods), yard waste and construction and demolition debris. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rules require documentation of the volume and type of debris collected to reimburse the city for storm cleanup, which saves local taxpayer dollars.
• Household garbage must be placed in a 40-gallon can or heavy plastic bag, each weighing no more than 50 pounds.
• Place yard waste in piles that can easily be managed by collection personnel with a claw truck.
• To expedite collection, do not place anything beneath low hanging obstacles like trees or power lines or near anything like fire hydrants or mailboxes.
• Food must be removed from any appliance set at the curb. Inedible food should be placed with your normal weekly garbage.
• Residents MUST adhere to debris separation standards.

Right of Entry Form - For private or gated communities 

• FEMA regulations require that private or gated communities have a current Right of Entry and Indemnification form on file with the City of Cape Coral before any disaster debris recovery crews are allowed to enter the community. City of Cape Coral Right of Entry Form  

Permits for Hurricane Damage Repairs

The City of Cape Coral reminds residents to pull permits for work on their homes to repair storm damage caused by Hurricane Helene and/or Hurricane Milton. Permits are required per Florida state law to ensure all work meets Florida Building Code standards.

The permitting counter at Cape Coral City Hall, located at 1015 Cultural Park Blvd, Cape Coral, FL 33990, is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to assist property owners with applying for permits. The City will have additional staff available at the counter and responding to email and phone inquiries to assist residents, business owners, and contractors.

Due to the impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, permitting counter appointments are not required until further notice. However, appointments are recommended to allow residents to avoid wait times at the counter. Appointments can be made at www.capecoral.gov/qless.

Residents acting as their own contractors can submit permit applications at the permitting counter for work at their primary residence but must bring a photo ID that matches the property address being repaired.

Hired contractors must continue using the existing electronic permitting portal at www.capecoral.gov/energov.

Any Cape Coral residents or businesses within the Special Flood Hazard Area with damage to their homes or businesses, including water intrusion, must obtain a permit for all repairs. For assistance specific to the Special Flood Hazard Area, please email flood@capecoral.gov with the following information:

• Contact information
• Property address
• Type of damage
• Height of the water that entered the home

For all other permitting inquiries, email permits@capecoral.gov or call (239) 574-0546.

To receive updates from the City of Cape Coral, sign up for the City newsletter here: Cape Coral E-newsletter. Follow the City of Cape Coral on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CityofCapeCoral.

Parks & Recreation  

• All City parks are open, with the exception of Strausser BMX Sports Complex due to ongoing lighting upgrades.

State of Emergency

• The State of Florida and Lee County both declared a state of emergency that includes Cape Coral. In response, our City Manager declared a local state of emergency for Cape Coral that went into effect October 8 at 7 p.m. and ended Friday, October 11 at 7 p.m.

This does not directly affect residents, but it does open up emergency funding for city resources.



Local Businesses: click here to submit real-time post-storm reports. 

Business Recovery Resources for Cape Coral Businesses
 
For questions or assistance, contact:

• Andreana Petersen at the Office of Economic & Business Development at apetersen@capecoral.gov or by phone at 239-841-5343
• Donna Germain at donna@capecoralchamber.com or by phone at 239-549-6900 ext. 107.

• Debris and Solid Waste Collection Following Hurricane Milton
• Cape Coral Milton Recovery Update: Roadway Safety, Debris Removal, Unlicensed Contractors - 10/17/24
• Cape Coral Reminds Residents to Pull Permits for Hurricane Damage Repairs - 10/15/24
• Cape Coral Solid Waste Collection Resumes 10/13/24
• Milton Recovery Update: Power Outages, Water Station, and Generator Safety 10/11/24
• Milton Recovery Update: City Closures, Hygiene Station, and Debris Removal 10/10/24
• FloridaCommerce Activates the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, for Businesses Impacted by Hurricane Milton - 10/10/24
• Cape Coral Resumes Emergency Services - 10/10/24
• Cape Coral Suspends Emergency Services Due to High Winds - 10/9/24
• MEDIA ADVISORY: Mayor Gunter to Provide Update on Hurricane Milton - 10/9/24
• City Urges Residents to Evacuate Now - 10/9/24
• MEDIA ADVISORY: Mayor Gunter to Provide Update on Hurricane Milton - 10/8/24
• City Urges Residents to Execute Evacuation Plans Now - 10/8/24
• City of Cape Coral Prepares for Hurricane Milton - 10/7/24
• Letter to Contractors: Urgent- Prepare for Hurricane Milton - 10/7/24
• Water Conservation Town Hall Cancelled Due to Hurricane Milton - 10/7/24
• Bike Night Cancelled Due to Hurricane Milton - 10/7/24

                     

Welfare Checks

• If you cannot get in touch with a loved one after Hurricane Milton has passed, please fill out the form below to request a wellness check for Cape Coral residents.
• Important: This form is for emergencies after the storm and is not a substitute for checking on your loved ones before the storm. Welfare checks will be held after impact and sustained winds diminish to allow for operational response.
• For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, call 239-574-3223.

• Welfare Check Form 

Additional Resources

• FloridaDisaster.org: Comprehensive disaster recovery information and services, including financial assistance programs.
  • Visit: Florida Disaster Recovery
• Red Cross Disaster Relief: Find shelter locations, food distribution points, and additional disaster services.
  • Visit: Red Cross Hurricane Relief
• FEMA Assistance: Apply for federal disaster assistance or check the status of your application.
  • Visit: FEMA Disaster Assistance
• Volunteer Florida: Opportunities to volunteer or find resources for disaster recovery assistance.
  • Visit: Volunteer Florida
• Mental Health Resources: Support for managing stress and trauma during these difficult times.
  • Visit: Florida Behavioral Health Association or call 2-1-1 for local mental health resources.