About SWFL.now and our sources
SWFL.now is a free guide to storm and flood readiness for Southwest Florida: Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte.
What we are, and are not
- We are not a government agency, an emergency alert service, an insurer or a law firm. Nothing here is insurance, legal or engineering advice.
- In an emergency, call 911. During a storm, follow your county emergency management office and the National Hurricane Center. Never ignore an evacuation order.
- Maps, shelters, programs and rules change. We link to the official live tools rather than copying data, and each guide shows the date it was last reviewed.
How the guides are written
Every factual claim is checked against a primary source and linked where it appears: FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program, the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service, the CDC and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Florida Statutes and the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the My Safe Florida Home program, and Lee, Collier and Charlotte county and city agencies. We do not publish invented statistics, prices, reviews or testimonials. Where no official figure exists, we say so.
If you find an error or an outdated link, email [email protected] with the page address and we will check it against the source.
Who runs SWFL.now
SWFL.now is built and maintained by Neural Command, LLC (Joel Maldonado). It is operated alongside two flood protection businesses:
- FloodProtection.now, a flood protection guide that refers homeowners to an installer for quotes.
- Flood Barrier Pros, which installs flood panels and barriers in Southwest Florida and is operated by Rubicon Flood Control.
Some pages link to those sites where they are relevant, mainly on protecting your home from flooding. We may benefit if you buy flood protection through them. Those links never replace official sources, and we do not accept payment to change what the guides say.
Main official sources
| Topic | Source |
|---|---|
| Hurricane forecasts, watches and warnings | National Hurricane Center, National Weather Service |
| Hurricane Ian storm surge | NHC Tropical Cyclone Report: Ian |
| State preparedness, zones, shelters | Florida Division of Emergency Management |
| Lee County | Emergency Management, flood maps |
| Collier County | Emergency Management, Floodplain Management |
| Charlotte County | Know Your Zone |
| City of Cape Coral | Flood Protection & Information |
| City of Naples | Floodplain Information |
| Flood zones and insurance | FEMA flood zones, FloodSmart, FEMA Map Service Center |
| 50% rule | FEMA Substantial Damage Quick Guide |
| Temporary flood barriers | FDEM guidance, January 2026 |
| My Safe Florida Home | mysafeflhome.com, s. 215.5586, F.S. |
| Generators and carbon monoxide | CPSC, CDC |
SWFL.now, built by Neural Command, LLC, 1639 11th St, Suite 110-A, Santa Monica, CA 90404.