MATLACHA, Fla. — Some homes on Matlacha are still leaning and severely damaged nearly three years after Hurricane Ian devastated the area. One Pine Island real estate agent is concerned about what another hurricane season could mean for these destroyed properties.
See what is still left to rebuild:
As you enter Matlacha, the view is sobering – rubble where homes once stood and structures leaning precariously.
"I would say the progress was great, you know, at first, and then all of a sudden, you know, after we had the other two storms, it was like everything just kind of got forgotten around this area," said Paula Towell, a realtor with John R. Wood Properties.
Towell, a lifelong Southwest Florida resident, believes it's been too long since Ian for the island to still look this way.
For her, public safety is a top concern as hurricane season approaches.
"It is really a dangerous thing to have here while we're coming into another hurricane season," Towell said.
Beyond safety concerns, the constant visual reminders take a psychological toll on residents.
"It's time to not to say that we're going to forget anyone or anything, but the thing is, is that, yes, to see this all the time. It's, it's terrible psychologically," Towell said.
She believes action is overdue: "Someone should have stepped in already."
When I reached out to Lee County about steps being taken to help rebuild the island, they responded: "Maintaining property that meets code is the responsibility of the property owner. There is an established violation process that Code Enforcement must follow to address properties that do not meet code. The process is intended to work with the property owner to get the properties in compliance with code."
Towell feels her community is being overlooked in recovery efforts.
"They're really repairing Fort Myers Beach, well, Sanibel, Laishley Park, and that's what you hear lately. But nothing here," Towell said.
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