96-year-old Rotonda resident rebuilding after Ian rips roof off

Writer: Paul Dolan
Published:
Rotonda
A house in Rotonda that had the roof ripped off by Hurricane Ian. (CREDIT: WINK News)

WINK News received a lot of messages asking about Rotonda, and how the area is doing after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida.

WINK News saw a house belonging to a 96-year-old man, with the entire roof torn from the building.

“We said, dad… there’s … there’s nothing left,” Terry Keevan, a Rotonda resident said.

Family, a term that possibly has more significance now to Keevan than before. If Keevan’s 96-year-old father was in that home when Ian made landfall, something horrific may have happened.

“The whole roof is gone,” Keevan said.

Keevan’s father lived in the home for 15 years, then Ian abruptly ended that.

“Saw the back and the damage that had been done … and uh … kinda had to shut the door and process all of it,” Keevan said.

There is still a boil water notice in Charlotte County, and frustration for Rotonda residents is boiling to the surface.

“It’s all about Fort Myers, Sarasota, Fort Myers Beach … Not once have I ever heard someone say something about Rotunda West or Englewood,” Keevan’s neighbor, who wanted to remain anonymous said.

Keevan and her neighbor are out cleaning the mess up all by themselves.

“He’s resilient. He says he wants to rebuild,” Keevan said. “And so right now we’re trying to do some cleanout. We’d appreciate any help that might be offered to us.”

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.