As hurricane season comes to a close, some residents in Collier County are still recovering from the damage left behind by Hurricane Irma on September 10.
The hurricane made landfall on Marco Island before tearing through the entire region. Several days later, President Donald Trump toured Naples Estates, a mobile home park in which over hundred home were severely damaged.
The clean-up process is still ongoing there two and half months later.
"We love these people, and we're going to be back, and we're going to help," Trump said during his visit on September 14.
FEMA workers had already been on site helping residents sign up for federal assistance the day before the president's visit. But the day after, Sheila Tannert, regional manager of Cal-Am Properties, which manages Naples Estates, said she was surprised when a FEMA representative told her they would be leaving.
"I let them know that, 'I was promised that you would be on site,'" Tannert said Thursday. "So they did stay on site for another four or five days after the president's visit. So I do believe that helped."
Much of the debris has been cleared away and new homes are starting to be brought in to Naples Estates. Resident Ken Ashman, who had to replace his destroyed lanai with a new porch, believes the president's influence helped he and others get federal aid quickly.
"The FEMA rep came and looked at the house," Ashman said. "I think that was on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and the next Saturday I went to the mailbox and there was a check."
The United Way is working with the Salvation Army to provide up $3,000 for homeowners insurance deductibles, while funds are still available. For more information, click here.
The Salvation Army also has a Disaster Assistance Center located at 3420 Tamiami Trail East in Naples.
