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Palmetto community in need of help after back-to-back hurricanes: 'Paradise is caving in on me'

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Published  October 16, 2024 4:42pm EDT
Manatee County
FOX 13 News

Palmetto community seeking help after hurricanes

Kimberly Kuzion reports.

PALMETTO, Fla. - Residents of Tropic Isles in Palmetto were promised some much needed help from volunteers after Hurricane Milton, but that help never came. 

Now, they are trying to do as much as they can on their own, which is a daunting task for a community where the average age of residents is between 65 and 85 years old. 

Lance Linke's home of 21 years at Tropic Isles Co-Op saw flooding because of Hurricane Helene.

READ: Hurricane Milton caused over $351M in property damage in Manatee County

"We had to move out," he said. "We moved a couple of houses away and paid rent and moved in all our stuff that we could salvage."

But, Hurricane Milton came a couple of weeks later and damaged their temporary home. 

"There’s so many people that are elderly and living on a fixed income, and they lost everything, and it’s so sad," Linke said. "Not that I’m a whole lot better, there are people far worse than me."

Some residents lost everything. Tropic Isles resident James Kelly is left hoping rain will stay away now that he has no roof due to the storms. But, a nearby neighbor showed up to help. 

WATCH: Bradenton Police rescue family, pets after tree falls on home during Hurricane Milton

"She started picking up the insulation and putting in the garbage for me and helping me out and that just shows how good of a community this is," said Kelly. 

The Palmetto community needs help from volunteers, because picking up the pieces of their homes and lives isn’t something many can do alone. 

"It’s a big challenge to our residents, especially because many of them have not returned to the park yet, we are dealing with a small fraction volunteering to try and get everything done," said Barbara McEvoy, the park manager of Tropic Isles Co-Op. 

Residents can often be found taking breaks in their community's clubhouse, where Mercy Chefs and city leaders help with a hot meal. 

MORE: Florida lineman hailed 'hurricane hero' after smashing windshield to save car crash victims

The community is hopeful others from Palmetto or beyond will answer their call for help as they recover from back-to-back hurricanes. 

"What we need is an army of volunteers to come into the community and help us clean up," said Robert Shaw, the vice president of the community’s board of directors. 

Tropic Isles is located at the corner of 28th Avenue and 10th Street West in Palmetto. To help, email Barbara McEvoy at Manager@tropicisles.net.

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