Eagle Ridge residents frustrated as tornado cleanup continues

The eagle ridge community is still cleaning up after an EF1 tornado hit the Southwest Florida community nearly two weeks ago.

People who live there say they don’t understand why it’s taking so long to pick up the debris from the damage.

Sydney Goodwin, who lives in Eagle Ridge was surprised by the amount of debris that still needed to be taken away. “I saw that big pile and was like, what!”

When Goodwin first heard about what happened in Eagle Ridge she simply couldn’t believe it. “Are you serious? There was a tornado? Tornados never happen, especially around Christmas.”

When she’s not in school, Goodwin rides her scooter up and down the streets in the area which was hard to do the last couple of weeks. “I’m like when will this be cleaned up?”

Goodwin isn’t the only one who wants an answer for when the remaining debris will be cleaned up, her grandmother Esperanza Liszweski does too.

She spent hours after the tornado cleaning up and making a pile that sat here for days and days.

“Very frustrating,” said Liszweski.

Liszewski said her daughter called Lee County multiple times, hoping someone would come and take the pile of debris away.

“Please understand that we are taxpayers and if we’re complying with everything, we expect them to do the same,” said Liszweski.

With the new year, came new hope. On Monday, crews came to take all the piles away.

Goodwin said, “now that I’m looking at it every day that when they’re gone, I’m gonna be like did we change houses or something?”

It’s a slow process. Liszweski said she’ll believe it when she no longer sees it. “If they start at the other end by the time when they get here they will be filled when they get here.”

A Lee County spokesperson said crews will be back out on Tuesday and will continue to pick up debris until it’s all removed.