Expand / Collapse search
☰

Laurel Meadows residents feel shut out by local leaders following Tropical Storm Debby

By
Published  August 21, 2024 5:07pm EDT
Sarasota
FOX 13 News

Governor expands Hope Florida to help disaster victims

Kimberly Kuizon reports

SARASOTA, Fla. - As Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis stopped in Sarasota. They announced the expansion of Hope Florida to Activate Hope. 

"People are confused when these disasters strike, they don’t know where to turn. Well, Activate Hope will remedy that," he said. 

A group of homeowners from Laurel Meadows, remained outside as the governor spoke about the resources it’ll bring to Floridians. 

"Let’s use government as a way to connect people in need to all these great resources," said DeSantis. 

The homeowners hoped to express their need for help to the governor. 

"Is Governor DeSantis here," one resident asked. 

Before the governor arrived, crews lowered the doors to the firehouse to reduce noise inside. 

RELATED: FEMA going door-to-door in Manatee, Sarasota counties

Residents felt shut out. 

After the governor left, Simona Lela tried to get a word with Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Neunder. 

"No. Got to go. I apologize. Have a good day," he said. 

Her concerns were not heard. 

"He couldn’t even give a second to a voter, he’s an elected representative and I had no opportunity to express even one sentence regarding our concerns," said Lela. 

There are a lot of homeowners left with barely a shell of their home, repairs will likely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

"We are devastated. Where do we start? What do we do? All these things to fix your home. This is your biggest investment," said Lela. 

Laura Wallace agreed. 

"We were all peacefully standing out here for hours, just wanted to get some answers. Want to know our county and government would support us. We feel really violated," she said. 

The inside of Wallace’s home has been gutted. 

"We are all trying to clean out our homes, some of us can afford a remediation company but we can’t afford to rebuild. People are walking away from their homes and our beautiful community," she said. 

Her home was the first built in Laurel Meadows 24 years ago.

The home that brought her happiness for so long, now leaves her in despair. 

"Heartbroken, defeated. We need help," she said.