PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda battles debris after dual hurricanes It’s been hard for some to move forward after facing Milton; every time they step outside their homes, they’re greeted by piles of debris.
BOCA GRANDE Boca Grande businesses clean up after Milton No matter how much you prepare for a hurricane, you never know what awaits you in the aftermath.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA All you need to know if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance One of the biggest hurdles southwest Florida had to deal with after Hurricane Ian was FEMA. Many didn’t know how to apply, which forms needed to be filled out and how to get money.
MANASOTA KEY North Manasota Key picks up the pieces while south waits to see their home Homes in North Manasota Key have been hollowed out from the storm surge after Hurricane Milton. Now, residents living on Manasota Key are trying to figure out their next steps moving forward while coping with the loss.
FORT MYERS Acting now helps avoid storm PTSD Even with storms Helene and Milton behind us, stress levels remain high. It’s leaving many people to manage post-hurricane anxiety.
PUNTA GORDA Preventing mold in Punta Gorda after Milton Right now, families with flooded homes from the hurricanes have to race to action. The water can cause black mold in damp areas of homes, but you can take steps to prevent the mold from forming or spreading.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda faces devastation with resilience An entire street in Punta Gorda was flooded, forcing the community out of their homes.
ESTERO FPL answers questions about power surges and outages, days after Milton Days after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, people coast to coast are still experiencing power outages and power surges, and now we’re hearing from Florida Power and Light (FPL).
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Basketball player bouncing back A basketball player, Karsten Schafer, is preparing to get off the bench and back in the game after doctors told him he might never play again.
CLEWISTON Clewiston teen killed by stray bullet during dance A Clewiston teenager lost her life after multiple shots were fired into a building during a dance on Friday night.
NORTH FORT MYERS 3 arrested after 2 carjackings in Lee County leaves cars totaled A woman was carjacked at gunpoint on McGregor Blvd. early Sunday morning. The accused carjacker is in jail.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach comes together to move forward after Milton Fort Myers Beach is slowly getting back on its feet after Hurricane Milton, with some businesses just now opening.
FORT MYERS Volunteers at Harry Chapin helping out after Milton The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been extending its resources to assist in recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Milton.
SANIBEL Boil water advisory rescinded on Sanibel The precautionary boil water notice issued on Sanibel during Hurricane Milton has been rescinded.
County vote on Lee Health conversion delayed by Hurricane Milton The final vote by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Lee Health’s conversion from a public nonprofit to a private nonprofit was scheduled during an Oct. 8 special meeting, but Hurricane Milton’s approach of Florida’s Gulf Coast led to its cancellation.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda battles debris after dual hurricanes It’s been hard for some to move forward after facing Milton; every time they step outside their homes, they’re greeted by piles of debris.
BOCA GRANDE Boca Grande businesses clean up after Milton No matter how much you prepare for a hurricane, you never know what awaits you in the aftermath.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA All you need to know if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance One of the biggest hurdles southwest Florida had to deal with after Hurricane Ian was FEMA. Many didn’t know how to apply, which forms needed to be filled out and how to get money.
MANASOTA KEY North Manasota Key picks up the pieces while south waits to see their home Homes in North Manasota Key have been hollowed out from the storm surge after Hurricane Milton. Now, residents living on Manasota Key are trying to figure out their next steps moving forward while coping with the loss.
FORT MYERS Acting now helps avoid storm PTSD Even with storms Helene and Milton behind us, stress levels remain high. It’s leaving many people to manage post-hurricane anxiety.
PUNTA GORDA Preventing mold in Punta Gorda after Milton Right now, families with flooded homes from the hurricanes have to race to action. The water can cause black mold in damp areas of homes, but you can take steps to prevent the mold from forming or spreading.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda faces devastation with resilience An entire street in Punta Gorda was flooded, forcing the community out of their homes.
ESTERO FPL answers questions about power surges and outages, days after Milton Days after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, people coast to coast are still experiencing power outages and power surges, and now we’re hearing from Florida Power and Light (FPL).
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Basketball player bouncing back A basketball player, Karsten Schafer, is preparing to get off the bench and back in the game after doctors told him he might never play again.
CLEWISTON Clewiston teen killed by stray bullet during dance A Clewiston teenager lost her life after multiple shots were fired into a building during a dance on Friday night.
NORTH FORT MYERS 3 arrested after 2 carjackings in Lee County leaves cars totaled A woman was carjacked at gunpoint on McGregor Blvd. early Sunday morning. The accused carjacker is in jail.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach comes together to move forward after Milton Fort Myers Beach is slowly getting back on its feet after Hurricane Milton, with some businesses just now opening.
FORT MYERS Volunteers at Harry Chapin helping out after Milton The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been extending its resources to assist in recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Milton.
SANIBEL Boil water advisory rescinded on Sanibel The precautionary boil water notice issued on Sanibel during Hurricane Milton has been rescinded.
County vote on Lee Health conversion delayed by Hurricane Milton The final vote by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Lee Health’s conversion from a public nonprofit to a private nonprofit was scheduled during an Oct. 8 special meeting, but Hurricane Milton’s approach of Florida’s Gulf Coast led to its cancellation.
Hurricane Andrew (By NOAA / Satellite and Information Service [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons) MIAMI (CBSMiami) It was 25 years ago this week that Hurricane Andrew pummeled south Miami-Dade. For many, it was a night of terror as pelting rains and whipping winds wrought destruction, leveling some neighborhoods. Before Hurricane Andrew, restaurant owner Jim Accursio had the mentality most longtime residents had about hurricanes. “We felt really confident. About midway through the hurricane I’m thinking to myself I killed my family because things were crashing all around us,” he said. It was the longest night of not just his life but for that of thousands across South Dade. And the storm was really just the beginning of a lot of sleepless nights. “It was the worst experience I have ever had in my life. In terms of what I saw and what we were forced to deal with. And you could see it in the faces of people around me,” said Florida City Mayor Otis Wallace. “It was like, I saw, ‘what am I going to do’ on everybody’s face. People were in daze. And for awhile there was a lack of hope. People thought that we wouldn’t come out of it. But not me, I am the eternal optimist.” Wallace said after the storm, he didn’t recognize his hometown. Every city building had been wiped away, most of his residents were now homeless. “They thought we had it all planned out, ready to go. Little did they know I was just as devastated as they were and initially there was no larger government entity here. There was no County here. I didn’t see Miami-Dade County until about three weeks after the hurricane when then President Bush came to town. I’m not being critical. They were overwhelmed as well,” he said. They literally had to rebuild entire cities across South Florida. Remarkably, Accursio’s family owned restaurant Capri survived the storm. The solid Dade pine roof may be to thank. Thirty days after the storm he re-opened, an attempt to return to normalcy in a place that was everything but. “Some people we never heard from again,” he said noting they went from 50 employees to just seven. The reality was that life was hard. No power at home or work. No phones. No stores. No jobs. “Everything changed. A lot of people left, never came back,” said Wallace. The mayor estimates roughly half his town left. The devastated Air Force base in Homestead closed. Much of the middle class disappeared. “So many people that were born and raised here or so many people who had lived here for twenty years, thirty years, they left. So that changed the core of the community,” said Accursio. Those who stayed were determined to rebuild. “There was shock but there was opportunity. Everything that we didn’t like about the city we had an opportunity to do it better out of necessity,” said Wallace. Federal funds, grants, and a boost from insurance checks and sales tax funded a post hurricane building boom. Mayor Wallace said development plans that were 20-30 years away were suddenly expedited because of Andrew. “The US 1 corridor was not what you see right now. We were able, with the infrastructure that we put in after the hurricane, to bring in some major venders, the Walmarts, the Home Depots, Best Buys, none of those things were in existence,” he said. Accursio said it took awhile for the customers to return. However within two years he was back to 50 employees. “I’m glad that I stayed. I’m glad that I was able to provide jobs for people. 100 percent,” he said. The community would re-emerge thanks to new residents who came for affordable housing. South Dade rode into a housing boom a decade later and then endure a foreclosure crisis. Today South Dade is once again on the rise. New businesses and residents moving in each day. Most say it’s recovered, it is different though. Wallace said he’s okay with that. “The grass is always greener on the other side of the hill. But when your hill gets devastated you learn to appreciate what you have a lot more,” he said.