After Hurricane Ian: What Lee County Families Should Ask About Generators and Evacuation

Why do hurricanes weigh so heavily on senior care decisions in Lee County?

Hurricane Ian came ashore on Cayo Costa in Lee County on September 28, 2022, pushing a catastrophic storm surge onto Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Pine Island and the low-lying parts of Fort Myers and Cape Coral. Power was out for days across much of the county, and the Sanibel Causeway and the Matlacha bridge were damaged.

For older adults, the danger of a storm often comes after it passes: heat without air conditioning, interrupted medications, oxygen equipment without power, and the confusion of a sudden move. That is why Florida's rules for care facilities now focus as much on keeping buildings cool as on keeping them standing.

What does Florida require of ALFs and nursing homes when the power fails?

Rule 59A-36.025 of the Florida Administrative Code requires every assisted living facility to have an emergency environmental control plan and an alternate power source that can keep indoor air at or below 81 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 96 hours after an outage, with fuel stored or reliably available. Nursing homes follow a parallel rule, 59A-4.1265. Both were adopted after residents died in an overheated Broward County nursing home following Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The rule allows some flexibility. A facility can meet the temperature standard with a fixed generator, a portable generator or by cooling a large enough area for all residents. So the important question is not only whether a generator exists but what it actually runs.

How many Lee County ALFs report a fixed generator?

Each facility's AHCA profile includes emergency power data. Across the county, 59 of 84 licensed ALFs report a fixed on-site generator. The table breaks that down by community.

Source: AHCA FloridaHealthFinder emergency power data, retrieved November 6, 2026. "Not reported" is not a violation; ask how the facility meets the 81-degree rule instead.

What should a Fort Myers or Cape Coral family ask about storm readiness?

Start with the building's evacuation zone and the facility's written comprehensive emergency management plan, which the county reviews. Ask where residents go if the county orders the zone out, how they are transported, how medications and medical records travel, and whether staff go with them.

Then ask about power: whether the generator cools the whole building or a common area, how much fuel is kept on site, and how long the building ran on generator during Ian. Finally, ask how families are contacted before, during and after a storm, and make sure the facility has a phone number for someone outside Florida.

A good answer will be specific and written. A facility that says "we have a plan" without being able to show it is giving you information too.

How should families stay in touch with a facility during a storm?

Before the season, give the facility two phone numbers, including one outside Florida, and ask how it will communicate: phone tree, text, email or a website update. During Ian, cell service failed across much of Lee County for days, so an out-of-state contact who can relay information was invaluable for many families.

After the storm, call the facility rather than driving in, since roads and bridges may be closed. If you cannot reach anyone and are worried, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at 1-888-831-0404 and AHCA's complaint line at 1-888-419-3456 can help locate residents of licensed facilities.

What about older Lee County residents who live at home?

If a parent lives at home and would need help to evacuate, or relies on electricity for oxygen, a lift chair or other equipment, register them with the Florida special needs registry through Lee County Emergency Management before hurricane season begins on June 1, and renew every year. Registration lets planners arrange transport and a spot in a special needs shelter.

A special needs shelter is a last resort with basic medical support, not a hospital. For most families, a better plan is to move a parent early to family inland, or to a short respite stay at an assisted living facility outside the evacuation zone, which many facilities offer when they have room.