BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — Hurricane Irma wiped out Rebecca Meyer’s home in 2017. Two years later she can finally move into a new home with her family. But, she said they’re more prepared this hurricane season.
She said she boarded her house and evacuated ahead of Irma, but the storm still caught her off guard.
“I thought, well, we made it through Charlie, and Wilma, and we’ll be fine. I never thought we would take on water they way we did,” she said. “It can turn on a dime. When you didn’t think it was going to impact you, and it did.”
The hurricane brought water from the Imperial river, flooding everything inside.
She said her family was fortunate enough to live with family and friends after the hurricane destroyed her home.
“We know that we haven’t sustained as much as some other people, but regardless, we haven’t slept in our beds for two years,” she said.
She added it’s a happy time for her, a new beginning as she prepares to move into her new home with her husband and two daughters.
“We’re extremely happy time for us to be able to finally go home. We’re so looking forward to it,” she said.
They built their new home just 200 feet away from the one that got wiped out by Irma. But, Meyer said they learned their lesson. This time around they built on higher ground and installed impact windows to protect against storms and hurricanes.
She shared a few tips to encourage others to stay prepared.
“Get contents coverage. I had flood insurance. I had all the insurance I needed - I thought,” she said. “Until I realized I didn’t have contents coverage, and I lost every piece of furniture.”
She also urged people in Southwest Florida to have a plan ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian, including water and food.
“There’s still all the other impacts. Tropical storm can still cut out power for days and weeks,” she said/
Meyer said she’s moving as much stuff into her home ahead of Tropical Storm Dorian’s projected landfall in Southwest Florida this weekend.
