Cape Coral tornado damage, Jan. 10, 2016 CAPE CORAL, Fla. – Cape Coral officials have begun asking the state for disaster relief funding. The city is speaking with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the state to determine if federal recovery funds are an option. Receiving aid from the state or federal governments requires city leaders to submit a request through Lee County, then wait for approval, based on federal eligibility. The possibility that the city will not be eligible for recovery help still looms, but Cape Coral residents say families are in need. Tammy Tran of southwest Cape Coral can still live in her home after it was damaged by the tornado, but her neighbor’s aren’t as lucky. Three homes near Tran’s were tagged as unsafe by the city. “There are some families that are crying in front of their house still,” Tran said. “They should just come out and help out.”