FEMA’s impact on retired teacher in Fort Myers Shores

A teacher in Fort Myers Shores worries she could lose it all because of FEMA‘s requirements to repair her home after Hurricane Milton.

Deborah Hagn lives in Fort Myers Shores. Her street is still lined with debris after facing back-to-back hurricanes. Now, adding insult to injury, FEMA is requiring her to raise the foundation of her home and the price tag isn’t pretty.

She doesn’t know yet, but Hagn has been living in this trailer since Milton because her home is not livable– so much so that the county gave her a notice of substantial damage.

That means the cost of repair or improvement is more than 50% of the market value of the home and it has to be rebuilt up to code.

Hagn loves her home. She’s spent over 20 years in it, and she doesn’t want to leave it or tear it down.

Hagn’s house may look like one of many houses damaged by a hurricane, but to her it’s more than just a cleanup process and financial burden.

It is where she raised her son, where her family gathered for holidays every year through the generations and where her retirement dream lies.

“This house is just all about the memories I have here, Thanksgiving, Christmas, my children,” said Hagn. “Well, the oak trees, they’re the only ones on the block. We planted them when we moved in. My son was 3. We spent the weekends on the water, pulling them up and down the river on the tubes, tubing.”

At 67 years old, her retirement dream is a bit more complicated now.

“And I’ve almost got this house paid off. This was my retirement. I’m a teacher. We don’t make that much,” said Hagn.

On top of losing almost all of her belongings in Ian, Helene and Milton:

“I’m still paying on the couch, the couch that is out there. I still owe Rooms To Go for me, and I am still making payments on that couch,” said Hagn.

All of her renovations from Ian were then sucked up by Milton. She got a letter from Lee County giving notice of substantial damage.

“I got this letter Saturday, and I spent a lot of Sunday crying,” said Hagn.

She either has to say goodbye or find a way to afford to raise it up.

“Well, I’m trying to not cry,” said Hagn. “They’re taking my home away. These are my memories. This is, like I said, this is where I raised my son. This is where his father and I lived.”

Hagn wonders if the value of her home FEMA is considering includes all of her renovations and upgrades after Ian. Including them prevents her from getting the notice of substantial damage.

Either way, all she wants to do is get the permits to repair her home yet again.