We never thought we'd see water like that.
It wasn't wind damage, like in Punta Gorda or Cape Coral, or storm surge like in Fort Myers Beach. Hurricane Ian dropped 17 inches of rain on a good part of Osceola County in 30 hours on Sept. 28-29 ... and we woke to scenes like these that Friday. It led to weeks ... months ... of being displaced, of having to pivot, having necessities go from an afterthought to a struggle – just ask residents of Good Samaritan Village, who left home a year and a couple days ago, and very likely have never returned, or have not spent another night in their homes, instead living in hotels, or with family or friends, or wherever they could arrange until new housing could be secured.
You could live in places like Lake Ajay or Pebble Pointe — while still having a home, to fix it required dealing with an insurance company that was likely front and center when it came time to pay them the annual premium, but when it came time for them to do the job they're contracted to, it became like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
We'll never forget Hurricane Ian ... a year from now, two years from now, a generation from now.
And, oh yeah, there's still two months left in the 2023 Atlantic Hurricane season.
