With Hurricane Matthew expected to touch down in Florida late Thursday night or Friday morning, Alico Arena has been converted into a hurricane shelter for East coast evacuees.
Projected to hit the East coast of Florida the hardest, Florida Governor Rick Scott urged residents of the East coast to evacuate the area ahead of what he called a “life threatening” storm. Matthew is projected to have winds of 100 to 150 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
With hotels along the Gulf Coast booked with East coast evacuees, FGCU Athletics Communication Director Jason McBain tweeted a picture of Alico Arena’s transformation into a hurricane shelter, adding that Alico Arena is primarily for overflow of East coast evacuees and can hold up to 858 people.
Work underway to convert Alico Arena into a #HurricaneMatthew Shelter. Opening later this morning. Stay safe, everyone. pic.twitter.com/ZROQwrQc9k
— Jason MacBain (@JaBain) October 6, 2016
Check back with Eagle News for more updates on Hurricane Matthew.
Ana • Oct 7, 2016 at 12:19 am
Awesome! This is why I love going to FGCU. Not only are you preparing students for their careers but teaching them to be responsible members of a community by helping others (& by taking care of the environment.) FGCU shows this through so many admirable acts in the community and it makes me proud to go there.