Chapter ED Intelligence · Chapter Report
ARC of Southwest Gulf Coast to Glades
Southeast and Caribbean Division · South Florida Region
FL · 6 counties · HQ Fort Myers, FL · FEMA Region IV
1,916,473
People
828,848
Households
45.1%
Households below the ALICE survival threshold
6
Counties · 6,311 sq mi
Nearly 45% of households across this chapter live below the ALICE survival threshold — the working families one disaster away from crisis.
In this report · Economic vulnerability · Who lives here · Home fire mission (FLARE) · mission delivery & the bespoke relationship strategy to follow
Sources: American Red Cross geography + 2023 demographics reference table; United Way ALICE + poverty (latest county year).
Geography & Footprint
The chapter's footprint.
6
Counties
6,311
Square miles
1,916,473
People
South Florida Region
Southeast and Caribbean Division
| County | People | Sq mi | % of chapter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee | 812,737 | 811 | 42.4% |
| Sarasota | 455,383 | 579 | 23.8% |
| Collier | 396,840 | 2,029 | 20.7% |
| Charlotte | 199,007 | 715 | 10.4% |
| Hendry | 40,524 | 1,190 | 2.1% |
| Glades | 11,982 | 987 | 0.6% |
HQ: Fort Myers, FL · FEMA Region IV. Counties sorted by population.
Who Lives Here
The people of this chapter.
52
Median age
$69,886
Median household income
29.0%
Age 65+
24.0%
Renter households
Age distribution
Race & ethnicity
Hispanic / Latino (any race): 20.5% of residents.
Source: American Red Cross 2023 demographics reference table. Chapter figures aggregate the 6 counties; median age and income are population-weighted.
Economic Vulnerability
Where the need is greatest.
| County | People | Median HH income | ALICE | Poverty | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glades | 11,982 | $44,194 | 41.3% | 22.8% | 64.1% |
| Hendry | 40,524 | $40,409 | 36.1% | 18.3% | 54.5% |
| Lee | 812,737 | $66,905 | 36.0% | 11.9% | 47.9% |
| Sarasota | 455,383 | $75,739 | 33.5% | 9.4% | 42.9% |
| Collier | 396,840 | $78,379 | 33.1% | 9.8% | 42.8% |
| Charlotte | 199,007 | $59,278 | 33.7% | 8.7% | 42.4% |
Combined = households in poverty plus ALICE households (above poverty, below the cost of basics), as a share of all county households. Source: United Way ALICE, latest county year.
Risk & Disaster History
What this chapter is up against.
$1267.1M
Expected annual loss, all hazards
Lee
Highest-risk county
69.7%
Avg social vulnerability (SVI)
13
FEMA declarations, 5 yr (top county)
| County | NRI risk | Exp. annual loss | SVI %ile | FEMA 5yr | FEMA all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee | Relatively High | $433.3M | 70.9% | 13 | 45 |
| Collier | Relatively High | $398.2M | 61.4% | 13 | 54 |
| Sarasota | Relatively High | $273.0M | 36.5% | 13 | 48 |
| Charlotte | Relatively High | $131.3M | 59.5% | 13 | 42 |
| Hendry | Relatively Low | $22.4M | 99.5% | 8 | 38 |
| Glades | Relatively Low | $8.8M | 90.6% | 8 | 37 |
Sources: FEMA National Risk Index 2025 (risk rating, expected annual loss), CDC/ATSDR SVI 2022 (social-vulnerability percentile), FEMA disaster declarations — via the Red Cross national county database.
Disaster History
A chapter shaped by disaster.
71
Federal disaster declarations
30
Hurricanes
Hurricane
Most common type
2025
Most recent
By incident type
Most recent declarations
| FY | Disaster | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Hurricane Milton | Hurricane |
| 2025 | Hurricane Milton | Hurricane |
| 2024 | Hurricane Helene | Hurricane |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm |
| 2024 | Hurricane Debby | Tropical Storm |
| 2024 | Tropical Storm Debby | Tropical Storm |
| 2023 | Hurricane Idalia | Hurricane |
| 2023 | Tropical Storm Idalia | Tropical Storm |
| 2023 | Hurricane Nicole | Hurricane |
| 2023 | Tropical Storm Nicole | Tropical Storm |
Source: FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 — county-level, deduplicated to unique disasters.
Home Fire Mission · FLARE 2024
Every home fire is a Red Cross moment.
357
Home fires (2024)
41.5%
Red Cross care rate
178
Fires with no Red Cross notification
1.9
Fires per 10,000 residents
Red Cross cared for 42% of home fires — but 178 (50%) happened with no Red Cross notification: the prevention, smoke-alarm, and response opportunity, county by county.
Source: FLARE Fire Incidents 2024 (American Red Cross, public layer). “With care” = Red Cross provided assistance; “no notification” = the Red Cross was never alerted to the fire.
Home Fire · Respond & Prevent
Red Cross shows up — and prevents.
2,684
Home-fire calls answered (RC response)
2,391
Single-family fire responses
4,030
Free smoke alarms installed
291
Multi-family fire responses
Red Cross answered 2,684 home-fire calls and installed 4,030 free smoke alarms across the chapter — response and prevention, county by county.
Sources: DRO National 800-RedCross Calls by County (RC fire responses); Smoke Alarm Installs FY15–FY24 (American Red Cross).
Disaster Response · DAT
The local face of care.
52
Trained DAT volunteers
232
Historical DAT calls answered
6
Counties with DAT volunteers
52
Responders on the map
Every dot is a trained Disaster Action Team volunteer ready to respond to a home fire — shown by position only, never by name.
Source: Florida DAT — RC Care volunteers + historical calls (American Red Cross). Individual identities withheld; counts and positions only.
Red Cross Facilities
The chapter's physical footprint.
3
Red Cross facilities
1
Owned
2
Leased / licensed
0
BioMed sites
By type / function
BioMed facilities
No BioMed fixed sites in this chapter.
Sources: Red Cross real-estate portfolio (reintel.jbf.com) + BioMed facilities (biomed.jbf.com).
Locations, types and functions only — no cost, square footage, or lease terms are disclosed.
Red Cross Spending · Bridge Program
Disaster financial assistance by county.
Bridge financial assistance delivered to residents — DRO 220-25 (FY25).
$1,077,300
Bridge financial assistance
5
Counties funded
$506,100
Top: Lee
$2,100
Per case
| County | Bridge financial assistance |
|---|---|
| Lee | $506,100 |
| Charlotte | $317,100 |
| Sarasota | $222,600 |
| Collier | $29,400 |
| Hendry | $2,100 |
Source: ARC Bridge Service Summary (PowerBI), DRO 220-25 (FY25). Financial assistance to clients;
counties with no Bridge cases this operation are omitted.
Red Cross Philanthropy · Major Donors
Who gives here.
Major-donor giving across the chapter — three fiscal years. Internal planning data.
$9,439,768
Total giving, 3-year
250
Major donors
$862,542
Current FY · ▼ 87% vs prior FY
$4,973,299
Top: Collier
| County | Major donors | Total giving, 3-year |
|---|---|---|
| Collier | 94 | $4,973,299 |
| Lee | 74 | $2,380,889 |
| Sarasota | 73 | $1,989,957 |
| Charlotte | 9 | $95,623 |
Source: Red Cross major-donor giving by county, three fiscal years.
Internal / executive-director planning use — not donor-facing.
County Deep Dive
Lee County
812,737
People
$66,905
Median HH income
47.9%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age48.5
ALICE households117,347
Poverty households38,827
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$433.3M
Social vulnerability (SVI)70.9%
FEMA declarations (all time)45
Home fires, CY2024133
Fires, no RC notification63
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25$506,100
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$2,380,889
Lee County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Sarasota County
455,383
People
$75,739
Median HH income
42.9%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age57.7
ALICE households73,054
Poverty households20,539
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$273.0M
Social vulnerability (SVI)36.5%
FEMA declarations (all time)48
Home fires, CY202499
Fires, no RC notification62
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25$222,600
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$1,989,957
Sarasota County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Collier County
396,840
People
$78,379
Median HH income
42.8%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age51
ALICE households54,932
Poverty households16,267
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$398.2M
Social vulnerability (SVI)61.4%
FEMA declarations (all time)54
Home fires, CY202446
Fires, no RC notification19
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25$29,400
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$4,973,299
Collier County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Charlotte County
199,007
People
$59,278
Median HH income
42.4%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age60.8
ALICE households30,431
Poverty households7,901
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$131.3M
Social vulnerability (SVI)59.5%
FEMA declarations (all time)42
Home fires, CY202454
Fires, no RC notification31
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25$317,100
Major-donor giving · 3-yr$95,623
Charlotte County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Hendry County
40,524
People
$40,409
Median HH income
54.5%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age34.9
ALICE households5,038
Poverty households2,556
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$22.4M
Social vulnerability (SVI)99.5%
FEMA declarations (all time)38
Home fires, CY202423
Fires, no RC notification2
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25$2,100
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Hendry County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
County Deep Dive
Glades County
11,982
People
$44,194
Median HH income
64.1%
Combined ALICE + poverty
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk
People & economy
Median age44.5
ALICE households1,885
Poverty households1,038
Risk & response
Expected annual loss$8.8M
Social vulnerability (SVI)90.6%
FEMA declarations (all time)37
Home fires, CY20242
Fires, no RC notification1
Bridge assistance · DRO 220-25—
Major-donor giving · 3-yr—
Glades County · sources: Red Cross demographics 2023, United Way ALICE, FEMA NRI & declarations, FLARE CY2024.
Your Live Tools
The chapter's Experience Builder apps & federal tools.
Red Cross Intelligence Briefing
Chapter risk, hardship, hazards & county drilldowns
experience.arcgis.com
Disaster Response Intelligence
Spatial disaster-response intelligence
Experience Builder app
Red Cross Real Estate
Facilities & market intelligence
experience.arcgis.com
Service Area Planning
Service-area geography & planning
Experience Builder app
Community Mobilization V
Local resource & mobilization map
experience.arcgis.com
Biomed
Blood & BioMed footprint
experience.arcgis.com
FEMA RAPT
Resilience analysis & planning
www.fema.gov
Census Community Resilience
People & resilience context
www.census.gov
Red Cross Experience Builder apps give the live, drill-down companion to this report; federal tools add official context.
Sources & Methodology
Every number, traceable.
Tools produce facts; humans own decisions. Each figure in this report traces to a named source and vintage.
| Metric | Source | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| geography + 2023 demographics | ALICE master / Red Cross reference table | 2023 |
| ALICE + poverty households | MASTER counties ALICE+demographics | 2023 |
| flare | flare_fire_incidents (public AGOL, CY24) | CY2024 |
| smoke_alarms | GIS_MAP_FY15_to_FY24 (AGOL item b09f21d9…) | FY15–24 |
| lives_saved | Lives_Saved_Map_30_Apr_2026 (AGOL item ff313330…) | 2026 |
| risk + disaster history | FEMA NRI 2025 · CDC SVI 2022 · FEMA declarations (red-cross-data county master) | FEMA NRI 2025 · SVI 2022 |
| fema disaster history | FEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 | 2026 |
| DAT volunteers + calls | Florida DAT — RC Care volunteers + historical calls (org AGOL; names withheld) | 2026 |
| facilities / real estate (no costs) | Red Cross facilities portfolio — reintel.jbf.com (locations, types & ownership only; no cost/lease terms) | FY25 |
| home-fire RC responses (SFF/MFF) | DRO National 800-RedCross Calls by County (org AGOL) | FY24–26 |
Geography: American Red Cross chapter↔county reference. The full machine-readable source ledger ships with the data bundle.
Appendix · County Data
Full county table.
| County | Pop | Households | Hardship | NRI risk | Exp. annual loss | Fires '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee | 812,737 | 341,670 | 47.9% | Relatively High | $433.3M | 133 |
| Sarasota | 455,383 | 210,781 | 42.9% | Relatively High | $273.0M | 99 |
| Collier | 396,840 | 167,737 | 42.8% | Relatively High | $398.2M | 46 |
| Charlotte | 199,007 | 91,368 | 42.4% | Relatively High | $131.3M | 54 |
| Hendry | 40,524 | 13,069 | 54.5% | Relatively Low | $22.4M | 23 |
| Glades | 11,982 | 4,223 | 64.1% | Relatively Low | $8.8M | 2 |
One row per county. Combined hardship = poverty + ALICE households. Fires = FLARE CY2024.