Rick on the Roof rebuilds for the holidays

Reporter: Jolena Esperto Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
rick roof
Rick protesting FEMA from his Fort Myers Beach roof. CREDIT: WINK News

WINK News brought you the story of Rick on the Roof, who fought and won his battle with FEMA over his beloved Fort Myers Beach garage. Now, he begins rebuilding in time for the holidays.

The town had initially ruled that Rick Loughery’s garage was an accessory structure to his home that got destroyed and had to be torn down, according to FEMA regulations. The state, however, made an exception, provided Loughery got all the right permits.

Rick on the Roof’s garage. Credit: WINK

He spent 130 hours sleeping, eating and living on the roof of his garage in protest. Now, Loughery is confident he’ll have a new roof on a new house by November of 2024.

“I must have created about maybe a couple hundred new friends on Facebook, and people are still taking us to dinner and stopping by and saying hello and telling us about their fights, and how they’re battling through things,” said Loughery. “Everybody seems to be starting to get through the process and starting to work things out, the troubles that they had.”

Rick on the Roof told WINK News that his Thanksgiving will be spent with loved ones up north over the weekend. Then he will return to begin the process of prepping the ground for foundation work on Monday.

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