Punta Gorda man dies after fire is sparked by Helene’s floodingSanibel businesses work to recover after Helene
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda man dies after fire is sparked by Helene’s flooding Hurricane Helene was not kind to Charlotte County, and on Monday night, people are picking up the pieces and grieving the loss of a neighbor.
SANIBEL Sanibel businesses work to recover after Helene There’s no “Going back to normal” on Sanibel after Ian, but Helene isn’t stopping people as they work towards a “New normal.”
MATLACHA Sisters fly to Matlacha to help father rebuild after Hurricane Helene’s destruction Hurricane Helene has affected people not just in southwest Florida but also people across the country.
Recovery efforts at Sugar Sand Beach RV Resort Almost everyone on Matlacha and Pine Island is focused on the same thing: Recovery.
MANASOTA KEY Cleaning up Manasota Key after Helene Hurricane Helene caused severe flooding that seemed to spare no one on Manasota Key. Two families share their cleanup stories with WINK News.
PUNTA GORDA Historic District in Punta Gorda recovering after Helene So much of Southwest Florida continues to recover in the aftermath of Helene, especially in areas on the coast.
Florida Blue and NCH reach an agreement Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Florida Blue have until midnight on Monday to reach a deal on a new contract.
Fort Myers Beach cleans up after Helene For many, Fort Myers Beach has been the epicenter of hope and recovery after Ian. Now people are looking back at the island town again after Hurricane Helene.
NORTH PORT New details emerge confirming state investigation into Heritage Insurance WINK News is breaking new details on a criminal investigation into an insurance company where customers claim they were left with wrecked homes after Ian and no money to rebuild.
LABELLE Linemen get superhero sendoff as they help with Helene recovery Local linemen get superhero sendoff as they head North to help with Helene recovery efforts in other states
FORT MYERS Man arrested after Fort Myers police confiscate nearly $1M and almost 700g of fentanyl The Fort Myers police department has arrested a man in connection with a large-scale drug operation.
PORT CHARLOTTE Animal shelter in Charlotte Harbor devastated by Helene is seeking support Dogs looking for homes have had their temporary home taken away by the storm surge of Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS Dean Park residents continue dealing with flooding issues after Helene Dean Park in Fort Myers looks different than it did a week ago. Couches, tables, mattresses, and an assortment of people’s possessions litter the neighborhood leftover from Hurricane Helene.
LEE COUNTY Heritage Farms community recovering from Hurricane Helene Just like Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Helene sent water into homes in the Heritage Farms community, sending people back into clean up mode.
FORT MYERS BEACH Cleaning up after Helene on Fort Myers Beach Hurricane Helene brought havoc to Florida, especially on Fort Myers Beach. Residents were forced to evacuate, and homes even flooded. It also triggered anxiety from Hurricane Ian.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda man dies after fire is sparked by Helene’s flooding Hurricane Helene was not kind to Charlotte County, and on Monday night, people are picking up the pieces and grieving the loss of a neighbor.
SANIBEL Sanibel businesses work to recover after Helene There’s no “Going back to normal” on Sanibel after Ian, but Helene isn’t stopping people as they work towards a “New normal.”
MATLACHA Sisters fly to Matlacha to help father rebuild after Hurricane Helene’s destruction Hurricane Helene has affected people not just in southwest Florida but also people across the country.
Recovery efforts at Sugar Sand Beach RV Resort Almost everyone on Matlacha and Pine Island is focused on the same thing: Recovery.
MANASOTA KEY Cleaning up Manasota Key after Helene Hurricane Helene caused severe flooding that seemed to spare no one on Manasota Key. Two families share their cleanup stories with WINK News.
PUNTA GORDA Historic District in Punta Gorda recovering after Helene So much of Southwest Florida continues to recover in the aftermath of Helene, especially in areas on the coast.
Florida Blue and NCH reach an agreement Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) and Florida Blue have until midnight on Monday to reach a deal on a new contract.
Fort Myers Beach cleans up after Helene For many, Fort Myers Beach has been the epicenter of hope and recovery after Ian. Now people are looking back at the island town again after Hurricane Helene.
NORTH PORT New details emerge confirming state investigation into Heritage Insurance WINK News is breaking new details on a criminal investigation into an insurance company where customers claim they were left with wrecked homes after Ian and no money to rebuild.
LABELLE Linemen get superhero sendoff as they help with Helene recovery Local linemen get superhero sendoff as they head North to help with Helene recovery efforts in other states
FORT MYERS Man arrested after Fort Myers police confiscate nearly $1M and almost 700g of fentanyl The Fort Myers police department has arrested a man in connection with a large-scale drug operation.
PORT CHARLOTTE Animal shelter in Charlotte Harbor devastated by Helene is seeking support Dogs looking for homes have had their temporary home taken away by the storm surge of Hurricane Helene.
FORT MYERS Dean Park residents continue dealing with flooding issues after Helene Dean Park in Fort Myers looks different than it did a week ago. Couches, tables, mattresses, and an assortment of people’s possessions litter the neighborhood leftover from Hurricane Helene.
LEE COUNTY Heritage Farms community recovering from Hurricane Helene Just like Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Helene sent water into homes in the Heritage Farms community, sending people back into clean up mode.
FORT MYERS BEACH Cleaning up after Helene on Fort Myers Beach Hurricane Helene brought havoc to Florida, especially on Fort Myers Beach. Residents were forced to evacuate, and homes even flooded. It also triggered anxiety from Hurricane Ian.
There’s no “Going back to normal” on Sanibel after Ian, but Helene isn’t stopping people as they work towards a “New normal.” They may not be ready to open, but they’re more than ready to work toward that. The Sundial Resort was set to reopen its rooms in November, but that date has been pushed back because of some additional damage from Helene. Still, they aren’t taking their eyes off the prize of being fully back in business. “You know, it gave us all a little bit of PTSD, I guess, thinking about, what are we going to find?” said general manager Becky Miller. Hurricane Helene brought wind and storm surge, but it also brought back bad memories for many. “A lot of people did flood again. So we’re getting a lot of those stories, you know, a repeat of what happened two years ago, and then some people were spared,” said Doc Fords employee Katy Forret. “Kind of a bit of a deja vu moment watching all the water come back in,” said owner of AIP Outfitters Joshua Stewart. Assessing damage depends on where you are and who you talk to. Over at the Sundial Resort: “It was messy. There was a lot of debris, a lot of silt, a lot of sand. We had a lot of water, so we had a lot of cleanup to do,” said Miller. At Doc Ford’s: “We didn’t get any water inside of the restaurant. There was a little bit of flooding out front, so it delayed our opening by a day,” said Forret. Josh Stewart’s shop on the island faired well, but he’s still cleaning up at home. “We started rushing and, you know, bringing everything upstairs as fast as we could, all the things that we knew were we’re going to need, especially, and then, you know, creeped up into the lake, creeped up into the backyard, and then it started water falling into the pool. And I was like, ‘ah, jeez, here we go again,'” said Stewart. The push now is to get ready for the season. “This will set us back a little bit, but, you know, we’ve got a strong team,” said Miller. “They’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in this, and they’ve got a lot invested, and it’s our goal to help them get them back on the market.” The sundial has been partially open, and they sell day passes for people to come by the pool and gulffront parts of the property. They are closed this week but hope to reopen by Saturday. They’re still working on a full reopening date.