Englewood residents still recovering from hurricanes on Christmas

Neighbors on Lemon Bay Drive in Englewood said their homes had never seen a drop of a water from a hurricane until 2024.

However hurricanes Helene and Milton brought devastation to the street.

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Some of those homes and families have been established for about 75 years. Englewood’s Lemon Bay Drive looks different this Christmas.

Harold Wallace lives on Lemon Bay Drive. He said that the road used to be festive.

“It was like a fairy lane, all lit up people joyful had kids in the neighborhood,” said Wallace. “It’s just what Christmas was all about people enjoying each other enjoying where they were.”

Wallace, one of the few homeowners left doesn’t know where most of his neighbors are.

The street has 30 plus homes. None of them spared this hurricane season. Wallace now lives in an RV parked in his front yard.

“It’s just like this is surreal,” said Wallace. “Almost a nauseating feeling to see what the neighborhood is now, comparatively speaking.”

Lemon Bay Drive had every home with belongings stacked on the curb as high as the homes themselves after Helene.

Two weeks later, while all that sat untouched on the curb Hurricane Milton came through the area.

“Here comes Milton just puts the nail in the coffin,” said Wallace. “Knocked me out took everything.”

The water line in Wallace’s home went from two feet to more than four.

“At least I have my life. Just have to regroup, rethink and replan,” said Wallace.

Regroup, rethink and replan, because in 24 years Wallace lived on Lemon Bay Drive, not a single storm caused a dollars worth of damage.

At 72 and retired, he describes his life as having his back against the wall. He now has a forced decision. He can sell or rebuild.
Down the street, the Harder’s decided to rebuild.

Lynn harder’s got some of the only signs of the holiday season outside his house, poinsettia’s.

“We got about 90% complete,” said Harder.

“You can still see some remnants of the damage here and it’s not comforting but the lord provides,” said Harder.

A presence he said he felt before during and after the hurricanes in Englewood.

“8 in the morning after Milton I walked up and right smack dab in the middle of the door by my door was a picture of Jesus,” said Harder. “A polaroid shot that and you look at all the debris around and the damage that was done to the windows in the outside of the house.”

On this Christmas day, Lemon bay drive is quiet. There are no lights, no decorations, but those left still believe the spirit of Christmas touched them all.