NAPLES, Fla. — With Hurricane Milton barreling toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, the City of Naples is urging all its residents to evacuate while they still can. City officials declared a local state of emergency Monday as businesses and residents braced for potentially life-threatening storm surge.
“We need the community to do their part,” said Naples City Manager Jay Boodheshwar. “If you haven’t already done so, you need to prepare your homes and you need to prepare your families.”
City leaders have issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in zones A and B, which includes all City of Naples properties.
There's also a vehicle curfew set to begin Tuesday night.
Watch as people in Naples prepare for Hurricane Milton:
The city will also close all beach access points and parking lots, with city offices remaining closed through Thursday.
As the storm moves closer, many are preparing for the worst.
Captain Geoff Tales, who was preparing to vacate his boats at the Naples City Dock, said he’s concerned this hurricane could hit harder than Hurricane Ian did in 2022.
“It’s the first time I ever considered pulling my boat out of the water and I’ve been through Irma,” Tales said. “Since I’ve owned this charter business, we’ve had Irma hit and Ian."
Businesses on land are also rushing to prepare for the hurricane.
Keble Pryce, who manages the Gondolier Inn on 8th Avenue with his wife, said he is worried about the what the storm will do to their recently recovered business.
Pryce couldn't find enough sandbags to protect their hotel but he is taking other measures.
“All the outdoor stuff that’s vulnerable to the wind, we try to get them indoors, and that’s basically it,” Pryce said. “It’s just sad this is happening. We just got our hotel up and running. Season is coming, we’re looking forward to it. So, you know, it’s just a big downfall at this time."
Naples city officials are urging residents to heed evacuation warnings and prepare for significant storm surge.
"Please take this very seriously," said Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann. "The most important thing is that we save lives. We need to keep you safe, and we will keep you posted."
