How residents of St. James City are coping after Helene

Once known for sunsets and dolphins, the tiny island community of St. James City is once again cleaning up after a hurricane.

Helene’s impacts ushered in several feet of water in some spots.

Neighbors told WINK News anchor Liz Biro that this storm was not Hurricane Ian, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t bad.

You could hear Everett Mendes’ music before you saw him outside the home. Mendes was in the kitchen listening to Brown Eyed Girl.

WINK News’ Liz Biro met Everett Mendes, a St. James City resident who loves music and nature.

Mendes moved to St. James City and picked this home to be around nature.

He’s a positive guy. “It’s a beautiful day; the plants, the sun, the sky, the air are beautiful even,” he said.

But these days, it’s hard to stay positive.

“Very difficult, I mean very difficult. I spent so much time trying to make my home a paradise,” Mendes said.

Everything flooded during Helene.

Mendes showed us how high—not even half of what Ian did, but that’s all it took to bring him back to square one.

“I had brand new floors, brand new walls, brand new custom doors,” he explained. “Brand new appliances, more beautiful than I’ve had before.”

It was all new after Ian.

“By New Year’s Eve, I wanted it… Oh my god,” he said, wanting Ian’s repairs done for the new year.

“I just wanted to start my life over it’s just been so horrible.”

And with Helene, here we go again: “Washer and dryer, hot water heater, everything gone, beautiful kitchen that I completely remodeled how I always wanted it.”

In the meantime, he leans on his faith for strength, nature for peace and maybe a good song and cold drink to keep things fun.

“I’m having a margarita, and that makes me also happy,” Mendes said.

You can’t just dry water out; it sits and destroys.

It doesn’t take 5 feet—it can be 18 inches inside a home, and your floor, appliances, and furniture are done for.

WINK News sat down with many on Tuesday who threw everything out during Ian and are doing it again.

It’s leading some to leave the place they love.

The box truck is loaded, and Tammy Aeschilman’s car is filled to the brim, “I love this area; I love Pine Island.”

She’s moving. Leaving St. James City, the mobile home park where she rents.

She doesn’t want to.

“It’s really devastating, it makes me kinda sad. I love Pine Island, I love the community, I love the people; unfortunately, it’s just time for me to go,” said Aeschilman.

Helene brought three feet of water.

“Probably got to right here on the stove.”

Inside, 18 inches. She could stay, but dealing with storms… “I sat by myself for 12 hours in the closet just listening to Ian,” she said. “This set the tone for me to have to go.”

Now Helene.

“It was just a sad time. It took a lot to heal,” Aeschilman explained. “Seeing your stuff go back outside and trashed and the soil you put into getting it or making a house a home.”

That home is now packed in the back of a truck.

She’s moving inland to North Fort Myers.

It’s not the end of her story with Pine Island and St. James City, but it’s too much for now to call it home.

“Pine Island is wonderful. It’s a wonderful community. The people here are strong,” she said. “I’ll be back. I’ll be back.”

And back again, she will be. Tammy used to work for the Chamber of Commerce, and after Ian, she helped people get back on their feet.

She relived people’s pain with them and helped them put the pieces of their lives back together.

Now she’s making that tough choice for herself.