Six months after Irma, families still struggling to rebuild

It’s been six months since Hurricane Irma hit Southwest Florida hard. But for many, it seems like just yesterday.

Bonita Springs was one of the areas hit hardest, and one that suffered serious damage in the storm. Many residents continue to put the pieces of their lives back together.

“After Irma went through, she got heavy water. It came up about three feet on her wall, and seeped in every area of the house—through the front door, through the garage. The house was just inundated with water. A very difficult situation. The flooding was…you know…immense,” said resident Philip Netti.

Neighbors say the recovery process is far from over.

“The recovery process has been…the first adjective that comes to mind is “slow”,” Netti said.

Entire streets in the area were submerged, with many houses being completely flooded out with floors and drywall destroyed.

One of the homes that suffered serious damages is still in the process of being repaired. The people who lived there say they’re still reeling from the impacts of Irma.

“My daughter and son in-law were out of this home for nearly five months,” Netti said. “Here we are nearly six months later and there are still issues with the aftermath of the hurricane. And we shouldn’t just consider it case closed and totally behind us. It just depends on where you live. And I feel the people around here have a far different perspective than people in other parts of Southwest Florida.”

Dana Hoenie also lives in the area.

“If you drive around this four, five-block area, you’ll see people that are just now coming back that have left. Who knows where they went. Now they come back. Quinn Street down there, there’s houses with furniture and drywall still piled up. So it’s going to take a long time yet for those who have to live and work, and when they can afford it, that’s when they do it [make repairs],” Hoenie said.

These families are just a few of hundreds still feeling Irma’s effects. But they are intent on sharing a spirit of determination and motivation within their communities.