Hurricane Ian: One Year Later

12 • HURRICANE IAN: ONE YEAR LATER • 2023 Authorities attempted to warn residents and arrested a number of alleged criminals. Many cases are still pending. And so many people are still awaiting insurance claims. Along major roads or small neighborhoods, and there are RVs parked just outside boarded up homes. One FEMA park was established near Englewood for a small population. Recovery is slow. There are a vast number and odd variety of reasons. Paperwork, supplies, workforce, fi nancial. Southwest Florida is fragile. "There will be some people who will never get back to normal," North Port Commissioner Phil Stokes said. "Their homes were wiped out. …There are pockets of people and neighborhoods that are still devastated. They're living in trailers or living remotely with family and friends." Stokes was not a public offi cial when Ian roared through. He was campaigning and volunteered at San Pedro Catholic Church helping provide food and water for people impacted. "That's what I remember the most. Talking with homeowners who were able to get out of their home," he said. Swaths of North Port were torn up, especially mobile homes, but few spots were unscathed. City facilities were raked as well, with Station 81 needing to be rebuilt. Stokes noted FEMA money has yet to be doled out to the city for its facility needs to recover from Hurricane Ian. In fact, the city is still awaiting some funds sought after Hurricane Irma in 2017. He imagines it will be two to fi ve years before FEMA has distributed Ian funds. But North Port has been smart about keeping a rainy day fund. Because when a major hurricane hits, you need it. "We were able to use our reserves to weather the storm — but it's defi nitely going to be a process," he said. "If we're lucky, we'll not have to deal with another storm like this for years. (If another hurricane hit this year), for a lot of people, it would be brutal." Traditionally, homes rebuilt after a major hurricane tend to fare better in future storms. But time and money are needed to complete the build. For some people, power was out for weeks. Showers were rare. Hunger was an issue. For the tens of thousands suffering in the aftermath of Ian in Southwest Florida, there were thousands volunteering to help. "What it really brought out … it's amazing what people will do for each other," Stokes said. "It showed how strong a city we had. Sometimes, the worst of times bring out the best in people." Many issues remain. Insurance is a major one. "There are people who are never going to get compensated for what they should be," Stokes said. The Florida Legislature made changes to the law in their most recent session. State Sen. Joe Gruters believes it will help, although it will take a little time to be felt. "With the devastation I've seen on the ground, obviously we've come a long way … but obviously there are a lot people still struggling … there's no quick fi xes," Gruters said. "We're resilient as a community." He gave fi rst responders credit for emergency work in the hours after the storm; he gave local offi cials credit for initial recovery in the days and weeks after; he criticizes federal government for the lag in assistance nearly a year later. "The federal government continues to show their worth in some of these efforts," Gruters said. "It's the bureaucracy … When control goes to local governments that were impacted, it goes pretty fast." But he knows there are no easy fi xes. "Nobody likes a disaster to happen…. It's something that will continue to happen and something we'll continue to deal with living on the coast." SUN FILE PHOTO Large portions of North Port, Sarasota County and DeSoto County were inundated by sheet flooding in the days after Hurricane Ian. Floodwaters from rains north and east of the region flowed down onto the area as Ian ripped across Florida. SUN PHOTO BY CHRIS PORTER Alberto Pillot, FEMA public information officer, takes a look inside one of the new temporary mobile homes off Kevitt Boulevard in Englewood East. Aftermath CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 PHOTO PROVIDED State Sen. Joe Gruters

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