South Seas managers, planner say resort evacuation procedures and state modeling keep Captiva clearance time within acceptable range

South Seas Resort staff and an independent evacuation planner told the Lee County hearing examiner on Feb. 20 that the resort’s hurricane evacuation procedures, combined with regional travel‑model results, keep the critical clearance time for Captiva and Sanibel within the thresholds used by the county and state.

The testimony came during a public hearing on a proposed Mixed‑Use Plan Development (MPD) for roughly 120.5 acres at South Seas. Sean Farrell, general manager of South Seas Resort, described the resort’s emergency protocol as a simple, three‑stage system — green, yellow, orange and then red for final shutdown — with regular updates, an annual exercise program, and guest outreach through an app and text messaging platform. “We communicate, we execute and evacuate if if needed. So it’s 1, 2, 3,” Farrell said on the record, adding that the resort tightens reservation controls (closing online bookings and waiving cancellation fees) and helps coordinate with island public safety when a storm threat rises.

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