Siesta Bay community improvement updates 14 months after Hurricane Ian

A community without water and electricity for more than 14 months after Hurricane Ian is finally getting some answers.

Nearly 300 people from Siesta Bay and Indian Creek got to talk to the COO of Sun Communities, but after heated discussions during the meeting, there are more questions than answers.

“The storm surge was bad. It was really bad,” said Patty Baron, a South Fort Myers resident.

Baron bought a home in Siesta Bay just months before Hurricane Ian hit.

“It is like five feet off of the ground, but I still got 17 inches of water inside of my place,” said Baron.

Siesta Bay and Indian Creek RV Resorts are both owned by Sun Communities. WINK News was told by several residents that Sun Communities held a 45-minute meeting recently discussing what’s next, and those who attended say it turned into a Q and A when they can move back home.

One person WINK News spoke with said there are more questions than answers.

“I can’t wrap my head around it. I guess I’ve never experienced a natural disaster, and seeing this now and how much time it’s taking, I guess, I don’t know why,” said Baron.

During the meeting, another resident said Sun Communities says they are working with Florida Power and Light when asked why there was still no power.

Siesta Bay residents still cannot live or build on their lots.

Baron plans to keep a home there but not for herself.

“I won’t live that close to a major water, and that I learned, so I want to fix it up, and probably I will be making it into an Airbnb,” said Baron, “but I will never move back there. I’m happy where I’m at now and planning on staying there.”