Ruskin mobile homes destroyed by Hurricane Milton, residents lost everything

Assessing mobile home damage in Cockroach Bay

Haley Hinds reports

RUSKIN, Fla. - Four days after Hurricane Milton blew through the Hawaiian Isles RV Resort in Ruskin, it looked like a scrapyard of twisted aluminum.

"I've been riding my bike around, and I get more depressed every time," said resident Brenda Pulscher.

Some people lost carports and sunrooms, while others, like Keith Hammons, lost everything. The roof on Keith's mobile home was ripped right off by Milton's winds. He said before all this happened hurricanes never crossed his mind.

"I never gave it a thought. My daughter wanted me to come to Florida, keep from shoveling snow in Indiana. And I never thought about hurricanes," he said.

READ: Bay Area arborists working to remove fallen trees after Hurricane Milton brings damaging winds

Now his bedroom, bathroom, and living room are completely exposed to the sky and his home is likely to be demolished. But he is taking it in stride.

"It's not often you can sit in your recliner and get a suntan," Hammons laughed.

Many of the homes, located right off Cockroach Bay, had already had water inside them during Hurricane Helene’s storm surge. Residents said about 85% of the homes in Hawaiian Isles have damage.

Pulscher said many of her neighbors have had enough.

"We've heard a lot of people are calling it quits and say, you know, they can't afford to fix it up," she shared.

Pulscher said a long road lays ahead for those that stay.

"It's just going to take a long time to get it back to our paradise," she said.

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