Helpful Hints For First Time Southwest Florida Residents
CLIMATE – Naples has a sub-tropical climate. Planting zone for cold hardiness is 10 b.
RAINY SEASON is considered to be June through October. During this time there is a chance of brief daily showers. An all-day rain is rare. We are the “Sunshine State”!
HURRICANE SEASON is June 1 through November 30. Any activity in our area usually occurs August through September, but could be any time during the official hurricane season.
LIGHTNING can cause short power failures and electrical surges. Protect your computer, modem and appliances with a surge protector. Whole house surge protectors are a first defense and the first thing to blow. Damage from lightning to home electronics usually occurs from an indirect strike to utility poles or wires nearby, entering the building through power, phone and TV lines. Florida Power and Light offers Power Surge Protection that will reimburse you for the cost to repair or replace your covered appliances and electronic equipment due to damage from power surges and lightning strikes. Call 1-877-459-5590, 8 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday, to learn about this no deductible plan.
“SEASON” may be a new term for you, but you will hear it referred to a lot. It refers to our TOURIST SEASON that typically begins as early as October when the first cold weather arrives in the north. Some part-time and seasonal residents return to their other home for the holidays, reappear in January, and stay through Easter. Our “season” seems to be lengthening each year, sometimes extending into May. Some “seasonal” differences you will experience are:
- The air is drier and the temperatures moderate. Most of the time, neither air-conditioning nor heat is needed. Enjoy the fresh air, and open your windows and sliders to let in the fresh Gulf breezes.
- Vehicle transport trucks arriving with cars
- Increased traffic
- A variety of driving habits from various states – be alert!
- Theaters have longer lines and restaurants have longer waits. Some restaurants take reservations or “call ahead seating”; others won’t.
- Grocery stores are more crowded, and the lines at the checkouts may be longer.
- The Post Office becomes a very busy place. Speedier service often can be found at a Post Office outlet.
- Beaches are more crowded, and beach parking becomes a challenge.
- Golf fees are at the peak of the year.
- For many of the reasons above, countless people enjoy the Florida summers.
- US residents will need a certified birth certificate, a valid passport or a certificate of naturalization. A second form of ID is also required, and can be anything from a baptism certificate or voter registration card (at least three months old) to a marriage certificate. In short, anything official with your name on it (i.e. utility bill with your local address, property tax statement). If you’re changing for an out-of-state license, this is sufficient.
- Non-US citizens are required to bring identification, proof or date of birth, and social security number. Some acceptable forms of ID are an Alien Registration Card, I-551 stamp on passport, and an I-797 with the customer’s A-number stating the customer has been granted asylum or refugee status.
- For regular passenger vehicles, some tests may be required, especially for a new license. These include a hearing, vision, driving, road rules and road signs test. If you’re exchanging a valid out-of-state license, only a vision test is required.
- Obtain vehicle insurance from a company licensed to do business in Florida–in other words, visit a Florida insurance agent.
- Take your proof of Florida insurance; your original out of state title and verification of the motor vehicle’s *vehicle identification number (VIN), completed on form HSMV 82040 or HSMV 82042 (available on our website), to your local Florida county tax collector’s office.
- VIN verification is required for all USED motor vehicles not currently titled in Florida, including trailers with a weight of 2,000 pounds or more.
- Collier County Beach Parking Permits are FREE to all residents or property owners. They are available at Veterans Park, 1900 Immokalee Road. Full time residents must provide a driver’s license and original vehicle registration (not copy); part time residents must also have a property tax notice or deed. The sticker is good at all beaches in the county and at designated areas in the City of Naples.
- A Florida State Parks annual family pass is $127.20 and is good for a group of 8. An individual annual pass is $60. The pass is good for Delnor-Wiggins State Park and all other state parks in FL.
- Red tide at our beaches is caused by a microscopic alga (a plant-like microorganism) called Karenia Brevis. The organism produces a toxin that can affect fish, birds and mammals. At high concentrations (called blooms) the organism may discolor the water – sometimes red, light or dark green, brown or clear. The blooms can last for days, weeks or months and can change daily due to wind conditions. Offshore winds tend to bring it near the shore and onshore winds drive it out to sea. Most people can swim in red tide, but it can cause skin irritation and burning eyes. Do not swim near dead fish. Symptoms from breathing red tide toxins are normally coughing, sneezing and teary eyes. Any symptoms are usually temporary. Commercial seafood found in restaurants and grocery stores is safe to eat because it comes from red tide free water. Do not eat recreational fisherman harvests of clams or oysters taken from Florida red tide waters as they contain toxins that cause food poisoning. Finfish caught live can be eaten if filleted. Shrimp and crab are safe to eat. Call the Red Tide Health Hotline for questions and advice: 1-888-232-8635 or check www.RedTideOnLine.com