LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Almost a month later, people living in the Iona-McGregor area are still recovering from an EF-2 tornado. That day was a historic weather day considering the EF-2 was the first to hit Fort Myers in six years.
Almost immediately people came together to pick up the pieces, but some like Joan Russell are still struggling with the cleanup efforts.
“They can’t get rid of it, my daughter is a single lady with a child," she explained while pointing at a massive tree. "I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
Russell lives down the street from her daughter. She said they scrambled to find safety just moments before the tornado hit.
“We weren’t together but we were both home during the storm. I went to the bathroom she went into the kitchen underneath the island there. With cushions over their heads. She was terrified.”
Rusell said her granddaughter was also under that kitchen island hunkered down and scared.
Stanley Macias said he and his family moved here just six months ago from Illinois, but finding shelter from this storm was a little different compared to their previous home.
“We saw the debris and we found shelter in the garage. We probably should have got there earlier.”
So where is the best place to take shelter in Florida? We went to the Lee County Sheriff’s office to ask that question.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno said the most important thing is to plan out your safe space in advance.
“We have no basements. You get by that bathtub you need to get to the lowest part of the house because you know it’s going to come through and come through fast.”
Sheriff Marceno said another big mistake people make happens after the storm passes and people started to clean-up.
“When you’re touching something, you could be touching electric current," he said. "So really stay indoors and let those first responders get out there.”
