FORT PIERCE, Fla. — It's been weeks since tornadoes from Hurricane Milton destroyed neighborhoods throughout St. Lucie County.
Many residents are still searching for help. A handful of them showed up to a state-organized town hall for tornado victims in St. Lucie County.
“When you see it in person and you experience it in person, it’s devastating," said Melanie Hardegree.
Hardegree lives in Spanish Lakes. Her home had severe damage.
“I need a new roof," she said. "All my gutters are gone. There was a house on the back of my house. It wrapped around the tree in my backyard. One of my neighbors passed away there.”
Milton destroyed 150 homes in St. Lucie County. That’s why the executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management was there to give advice on the recovery process.
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“The recommendation that I have from me is that you go down every possible path. You register with FEMA, individual assistance you go to nonprofits, you go to the small business administration," said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of FDEM. “You go down every single avenue that you possibly can.”
Hardegree wasn’t just there for herself. She was there to help her next-door neighbors that lost everything.
“I asked specifically like, now her situation has changed," she said. "She initially applied thinking she was going to repair her home and now it’s a situation where she’s not going to be able to live in that home.”
Today she got her question answered.
“Make sure you keep your registration up to date, no matter what, keep it up to date. As your circumstance changes, you may be actually eligible for more programs and funding,” explained Guthrie.
For these residents, there’s still much to go in the road to recovery, but everyday is a step closer.
“I think if everyone just continues to try to love each other and be there for each other, we can get through anything,” said Hardegree.
