FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Families on Fort Myers Beach are committing to rebuild from the ground up.
Nearly half the homes on Hibiscus Drive were leveled by the storm surge and wind of Hurricane Ian.
Mobile homes line the street as homeowners decide to renovate, sell or rebuild.
“That’s kind of the battle for some people. Whether they got the money or they didn’t. Or whether they were insured or not,” said Michael Szekely.
Szekely’s family lost everything in the storm, but recently signed a contract to rebuild.
Work is expected to start in July.
“This new house, it’s going to be on stilts. It’s going to be protected from any potential — anything else that can happen. It’s going to be hurricane-proof, so it’s really exciting,” said Szekely.
Michael King lives down the road and recently finished his home renovations.
King said he’s ready to take rental reservations in June, but it took a lot of work to get here.
He said more families could be further along but are facing roadblocks.
“For some, it could be insurance reasons. It could be permitting reasons. It could be a lot of things,” said King.
Szekely said it’s his family’s plan to also rent, but is looking forward to the day when his mother retires in her new home.
“I am so excited to see her dreams come true. I mean, she’s going to have a new house. You can’t beat a new house,” said Szekely.
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