CLEWISTON Clewiston teen killed by stray bullet during dance A Clewiston teenager lost her life after multiple shots were fired into a building during a dance on Friday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda battles debris after dual hurricanes It’s been hard for some to move forward after facing Milton; every time they step outside their homes, they’re greeted by piles of debris.
BOCA GRANDE Boca Grande businesses clean up after Milton No matter how much you prepare for a hurricane, you never know what awaits you in the aftermath.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA All you need to know if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance One of the biggest hurdles southwest Florida had to deal with after Hurricane Ian was FEMA. Many didn’t know how to apply, which forms needed to be filled out and how to get money.
MANASOTA KEY North Manasota Key picks up the pieces while south waits to see their home Homes in North Manasota Key have been hollowed out from the storm surge after Hurricane Milton. Now, residents living on Manasota Key are trying to figure out their next steps moving forward while coping with the loss.
FORT MYERS Acting now helps avoid storm PTSD Even with storms Helene and Milton behind us, stress levels remain high. It’s leaving many people to manage post-hurricane anxiety.
PUNTA GORDA Preventing mold in Punta Gorda after Milton Right now, families with flooded homes from the hurricanes have to race to action. The water can cause black mold in damp areas of homes, but you can take steps to prevent the mold from forming or spreading.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda faces devastation with resilience An entire street in Punta Gorda was flooded, forcing the community out of their homes.
ESTERO FPL answers questions about power surges and outages, days after Milton Days after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, people coast to coast are still experiencing power outages and power surges, and now we’re hearing from Florida Power and Light (FPL).
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Basketball player bouncing back A basketball player, Karsten Schafer, is preparing to get off the bench and back in the game after doctors told him he might never play again.
NORTH FORT MYERS 3 arrested after 2 carjackings in Lee County leaves cars totaled A woman was carjacked at gunpoint on McGregor Blvd. early Sunday morning. The accused carjacker is in jail.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach comes together to move forward after Milton Fort Myers Beach is slowly getting back on its feet after Hurricane Milton, with some businesses just now opening.
FORT MYERS Volunteers at Harry Chapin helping out after Milton The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been extending its resources to assist in recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Milton.
SANIBEL Boil water advisory rescinded on Sanibel The precautionary boil water notice issued on Sanibel during Hurricane Milton has been rescinded.
County vote on Lee Health conversion delayed by Hurricane Milton The final vote by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Lee Health’s conversion from a public nonprofit to a private nonprofit was scheduled during an Oct. 8 special meeting, but Hurricane Milton’s approach of Florida’s Gulf Coast led to its cancellation.
CLEWISTON Clewiston teen killed by stray bullet during dance A Clewiston teenager lost her life after multiple shots were fired into a building during a dance on Friday night.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda battles debris after dual hurricanes It’s been hard for some to move forward after facing Milton; every time they step outside their homes, they’re greeted by piles of debris.
BOCA GRANDE Boca Grande businesses clean up after Milton No matter how much you prepare for a hurricane, you never know what awaits you in the aftermath.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA All you need to know if you are applying for FEMA disaster assistance One of the biggest hurdles southwest Florida had to deal with after Hurricane Ian was FEMA. Many didn’t know how to apply, which forms needed to be filled out and how to get money.
MANASOTA KEY North Manasota Key picks up the pieces while south waits to see their home Homes in North Manasota Key have been hollowed out from the storm surge after Hurricane Milton. Now, residents living on Manasota Key are trying to figure out their next steps moving forward while coping with the loss.
FORT MYERS Acting now helps avoid storm PTSD Even with storms Helene and Milton behind us, stress levels remain high. It’s leaving many people to manage post-hurricane anxiety.
PUNTA GORDA Preventing mold in Punta Gorda after Milton Right now, families with flooded homes from the hurricanes have to race to action. The water can cause black mold in damp areas of homes, but you can take steps to prevent the mold from forming or spreading.
PUNTA GORDA Punta Gorda faces devastation with resilience An entire street in Punta Gorda was flooded, forcing the community out of their homes.
ESTERO FPL answers questions about power surges and outages, days after Milton Days after Hurricane Milton tore through Florida, people coast to coast are still experiencing power outages and power surges, and now we’re hearing from Florida Power and Light (FPL).
FORT MYERS Miracle Moment: Basketball player bouncing back A basketball player, Karsten Schafer, is preparing to get off the bench and back in the game after doctors told him he might never play again.
NORTH FORT MYERS 3 arrested after 2 carjackings in Lee County leaves cars totaled A woman was carjacked at gunpoint on McGregor Blvd. early Sunday morning. The accused carjacker is in jail.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach comes together to move forward after Milton Fort Myers Beach is slowly getting back on its feet after Hurricane Milton, with some businesses just now opening.
FORT MYERS Volunteers at Harry Chapin helping out after Milton The Harry Chapin Food Bank has been extending its resources to assist in recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Milton.
SANIBEL Boil water advisory rescinded on Sanibel The precautionary boil water notice issued on Sanibel during Hurricane Milton has been rescinded.
County vote on Lee Health conversion delayed by Hurricane Milton The final vote by the Lee County Board of County Commissioners on Lee Health’s conversion from a public nonprofit to a private nonprofit was scheduled during an Oct. 8 special meeting, but Hurricane Milton’s approach of Florida’s Gulf Coast led to its cancellation.
Hurricane Helene has affected people, not just in southwest Florida, but across the country. WINK News reporter Amy Galo caught up with two young women who flew down from Philadelphia to help their father while he does the same for others. Gianna and Becky Murgia flew down with their boyfriend and fiance, and the four of them immediately got to work cleaning out their dad’s Matlacha home. They formed a huge pile of furniture and belongings, stacked high and filled with memories. The scene is reminiscent of Hurricane Ian. “Most of the beds, most of the couches, all the like kitchen vanities,” said Gianna. “Everyone’s finally kind of got back up on their feet from all that devastation. And then now, obviously, we’re kind of starting from ground zero again.” If you take a drive around Matlacha, you’ll see dozens of piles like the Murgia’s. While Becky and Gianna work to clear their dad, Charlie Murgia’s home, he’s up in Boca helping others pick up the pieces. “He manages probably, like 60 to 70 houses up there. So he’s, like, their first response for the hurricane,” Becky explained. His daughters are here doing the same for Charlie. “Just kind of getting the house where it needs to be, get all the furniture out so it’s not just sitting and growing mold,” Gianna said. They ripped out cabinets, doors and drywall after the house took in around two feet of water during Helene. Becky explained, “My dad called me. He’s like, there’s water coming in from everywhere. He actually didn’t put up the hurricane shutters because it wasn’t supposed to be bad, but the water was like, coming in through those back windows, like waves crashing into the windows.” And it showed no mercy to the two years of work that was put into this home after Ian. Gianna said, “We honestly had just finally recovered, probably, like at the beginning of this summer.” While the Murgia family is back to square one, they said the love and support of this community have made it easy. Everyone’s pitching in, helping each other out wherever they can.