What was once Hurricane Irma is now a tropical storm. But before Irma touched down Sunday in Southwest Florida, WGCU visited a trailer park in Estero when a mandatory evacuation was in effect for mobile homes.
On Monday, after Irma passed, residents were coming back to the Covered Wagon R.V. & Trailer Park off of U.S. 41. They found puddles, a few downed palm trees, and awnings that were blown off. But for the most part, the homes were still intact.
Janet Cruz, 11, was "really glad" her home was still intact after returning from the Estero Rec Center, where she sheltered during the storm.
"It's a miracle," said Cruz. "Down in Naples, they've been saying that houses have been flying, and down in Bonita Beach Road it's flooded up to your hips."
Marion Emmons returned to her trailer and was all smiles.
"We're great. We're really lucky," said Emmons. "No water damage, no tree damage. We have electricity. We have no water yet, because a [water] main broke."
When Irma came, Emmons evacuated to her husband's high rise workplace in Naples.
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People in the neighborhood were making minor repairs. Mary Grosser lost a few roof shingles. She sat, waiting, on the stoop of the trailer park's office.
"Waiting to get gas, trying to find a blue tarp," said Grosser. "Going back to work and live our life back."
When WGCU first went to the Covered Wagon neighborhood, we spoke to the Zuniga family as they evacuated. A neighbor said Monday that the Zuniga family was safe at the Estero Rec Center.
The neighborhood was only missing water. Many people walked to the store across the street to get some.
