Lee County has entered a public-private partnership to enhance weather radar coverage and improve monitoring of severe weather in the area.
The Lee Board of County Commissioners approved a site license agreement with Kentucky-based Climavision to install weather radar equipment on the roof of the Lee County Public Safety Center.
This collaboration aims to fill a gap in radar coverage for the National Weather Service, improving the ability to predict and forecast severe weather. The county, situated between radars in Tampa, Key West, Miami, and Melbourne, currently experiences limitations in detecting weather phenomena below 6,000 feet.
Climavision will reimburse the county $27,813 for platform construction and pay $2,400 annually for electricity. In exchange for base rent, Climavision will provide weather data to Lee County at no cost.
The agreement includes a three-year initial term with a renewal option. The X-Band weather radar, covering 60 miles, is licensed by the FCC and integrated with the National Weather Service for rapid data access during emergencies.
The new radar system will be housed at the recently opened Public Safety Center, a 36,873 square-foot facility that serves multiple county departments and emergency services.