Hurricane Ian: One Year Later

2023 • HURRICANE IAN: ONE YEAR LATER • 19 Gene Gorman Auto Repair 941-639-4722 3315 Tamiami Trail Punta Gorda Gene Gorman Tire & Auto Repair 941-629-8473 4396 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte Family Motors 941-625-2141 4380 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte Premier Auto Sales 941-639-7300 1305 Tamiami Trail Punta Gorda Gene Gorman's Auto Sales 941-639-1601 3305 Tamiami Trail Punta Gorda After losing all 4 of our car dealership buildings during hurricane Charley we immediately ran the "Mother of all Scratch and Dent Sale" promotions and made national news. At Gene Gorman Auto Sales there are no victims allowed. Brush yourself off ff and get back to rebuilding. Hurricane Ian gave us a similar show but we were blessed to have most of our roofs still in tact. We ran a promotion for the community off ffering free flat tire repairs to anyone local or here helping our community rebuild. We have continued that promotion to this day and do not plan on stopping it any time soon. - Owen Gorman DURING AFTER Garry Overbey Charlotte/DeSoto Editor CHARLOTTE HARBOR — Nearly a year after Hurricane Ian, Rhonda Harvey is still working from home — and she will be for the foreseeable future. Harvey is the coordinator of Keep Charlotte Beautiful, overseeing a network of about 2,000 volunteers who participate in cleanups and other activities and educational efforts to improve the local environment. "It's really made it a lot harder for everybody to get things done," Harvey said of losing her office space to the storm. "But we're getting used to the difference. A lot of people don't realize how many people were impacted and are still being impacted (by Ian). It's not just us. A lot of people are still impacted." KCB is the only nonprofit that operated out of the East Port Environmental Campus on Harborview Road. The building housing KCB, as well as the county's Public Works and the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, was severely damaged by the storm and is seen as a "total loss," according to Charlotte County spokesperson Brian Gleason. A second building on the sprawling 698- acre property, reserved for Charlotte County Utilities, is still open. County services in the damaged building have been rehoused in other county buildings, and a temporary trailer was set up on site for others. The winds and heavy rainfall caused roof and wall failure, which led to water intrusion, according to Gleason. "When water gets in, all bets are off," he said. Storm-damaged county buildings face a three-step process: first, the county must assess the damage; then the county's insurer must decide how much it will pay; and then the Charlotte County Commission must decide whether to tear it down or rebuild. In the case of East Port, the county is still waiting for word on the insurance, Gleason said. "When the insurance doesn't cover your losses, the decision is, do you cut your losses and build new?" Gleason said, adding that the building is about 40 years old and that must also be factored in. The county must also weigh whether to rebuild on site or relocate it. Given the building's proximity to a retention pond and wetlands nearby on the property, rebuilding on site is the likeliest option, Gleason added. Another county building out of commission is the Mid-County Library. With about 60,000 library items in storage in Orlando, the county recently indicated a desire to rehabilitate the building rather than tear it down or put financial resources toward renting a temporary location. The expected cost of reconstruction is $3.7 million. Two other county facilities currently out of commission — the Ann Dever and Tringali recreation centers in Englewood — will definitely be back, with repairs underway, Gleason said. Some government buildings were a 'TOTAL LOSS' SUN PHOTO BY GARRY OVERBEY The A building at the East Port Environmental Campus sustained wall and roof failure during Hurricane Ian, leading to water instrusion.

• Cover