NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla — A tornado tore through part of Pine Lakes in North Fort Myers on Wednesday, destroying homes, even pulling one off its foundation and flipping it on its roof.
As Fox 4’s North Fort Myers Community Correspondent, I was monitoring how the area was being affected by Hurricane Milton, so I rushed over as soon as I heard what happened.
Watch my report here...
You could see homes destroyed, roofs ripped off, cars crushed under debris, and torn gutters and siding scattered the streets. From a drone, you could trace the tornado’s path of destruction through the southeast part of the neighborhood.
Angela Conn said her home took a direct hit. “After the tornado hit, it was bad. But when the hurricane hit it was worse,” said Conn.
Conn walked me inside - her living room was unrecognizable with the roof completely caved in. Thankfully, she said she evacuated in time.
“I thought maybe it would be savable, be salvageable, but it’s not gonna be,” Conn said. “I love this neighborhood. I thought it was safe, it’s why I moved here.”
People like Conn said they love the neighborhood for the sense of community. Neighbors were out on golf carts, checking on friends and helping clean up. Thomas Young shared a moment that stuck with him…
“We found two old ladies sitting in a house with no roof, scared to death. So, we got them out of the house, got the car out of the driveway, and put them in a safe spot,” said Young.
I checked on the flipped home - the neighbors said it was for sale and unoccupied. Thankfully, they say no one in the tornado’s path was hurt. Everyone I talked with just couldn’t believe how fast it all happened.
“It was over in like one or two minutes. Heard a lot of things thumping on the roof, and I started praying - lord save your people,” said Darlene Susnowski. “It was very scary. I’ve seen a lot of things in my life and that’s shaken me,” added Tim Nicewander.
But, as the skies cleared and the cleanup continued, the community’s resilience shone through. “We worked together to rebuild after Ian, and we’ve survived this,” said Kelly Joe.
