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Irma Recovery: Immokalee, the Keys, and Medical Needs amid Lingering Power Outages

Photo: Collier County Sheriff's Office via Facebook
Repairs to the Chokoloskee bridge are continuing. The bridge was damaged by Hurricane Irma.

As Southwest Florida continues its recovery from Hurricane Irma, communities from Immokalee to the Florida Keys struggle with scarce supplies of food, fuel, and water. That's on top of medical patients who, despite precautions before the storm, face acute needs in the face of the region's ongoing power outage.

NPR reporters Abby Wendle and Camila Domonoske join Gulf Coast Live to share their reporting from a recent visit to Immokalee, and the unique struggles the inland community faces while recovering from Hurricane Irma.

 
WLRN reporter Nancy Nancy Klingener joins the show to provide an update on the Florida Keys, and how she and other longtime residents are dealing with ongoing shortages and travel restrictions to the islands.

 
We'll also speak with WGCU reporter Jessica Meszaros about her reporting from Hendry County and the estimated $2 billion in damages the storm has left the region's agricultural industry facing.

 
Amid clean-up efforts, we'll also speak to Lee Health and NHC Community Blood Center about acute medical needs in the region, from a need for blood supplies to other acute medical needs they're working to address.

Matthew Smith is a reporter and producer of WGCU’s Gulf Coast Live.