Impacts of Hurricane Milton on Fort Myers Beach Residents

As we move forward from Hurricane Milton, some areas are seeing increased efforts in cleanup.

Contractors and city vehicles on Fort Myers Beach are helping people take the debris out of their homes. Not only are crews cleaning but those who live here from what I’ve seen are just still going through their homes.

“This is what you got left and it’s kinda sad. This is what you have in your house and it’s out on the trash again,” said FMB homeowner Marilyn Brockshmidt.

Debby, Helene, and now Milton. Three storms later, homeowners are accepting what the future looks like now.

“It’s just you dwindle down each time and like I said this is the fourth time and there is not much left to throw away but it gets easier as it goes on cause you realize it’s just stuff,” said Brockshmidt.

Brockshmidt lives off of Estero Blvd on Fort Myers Beach.

She told WINK that with Milton, she had over 40 inches of water consuming her home and even had waterlines documenting the past few storms.

Over 40 inches for Brockshmidt, but others on her street saw a lot less but even though it was less water, Bob Todd says the clean-up has been equivalent to Hurricane Ian.

“The damage and destruction has been the same,” said Bob Todd. “I mean you’re tearing out sheetrock and I feel sorry for so many people that put sheetrock and put everything back, including furniture redid everything, that they had to do and all of a sudden the rug has been pulled out from under them again.”

The mayor of Fort Myers Beach, Dan Allers, says this cleaning process is just another step in recovery from Hurricane Milton but it’s going to take some time.