FORT PIERCE, Fla. — It's been seven weeks, but many residents in St. Lucie County still clearly recall the memories of the destructive tornadoes from Hurricane Milton.
The twister covered streets in debris. It's been a tough road, but somehow residents have found the strength to move forward.
In Indian River Estates, Thanksgiving feels different.
"First thing in the morning we come outside, and we see (the tornado damage)," resident Mark Cain said.
"You can't ignore it," added his wife Kim Cain.
The couple lost their home in the tornado outbreak.
“There's no roof as you can see," Kim Cain described.
Week by week, they've been picking up the pieces. They just moved into a camper in their backyard as they gear up to fix their home.
"It's like, we're home, sort of," Kim Cain said.
Just next door, the Porcelli family has holes in their roof.
"We were having Thanksgiving breakfast this morning with my father, and we were still replaying (the tornado)," Fallon Porcelli said.
They're making the best of a tough situation.
"We're beyond thankful for where we are today and that we're all here together," Porcelli said. "We're nowhere near being able to host or anything like that so we’re thankful that people are opening up their homes for us to go spend time with them."
The families are moving past the devastation.
"We are getting back to routine. The only thing I miss is that Thanksgiving is something that I would cook," Kim Cain said.
Even in the Cains' small camper, Kim found a way to make her Thanksgiving stuffing.
"I do a lot in (our camper)," Kim Cain said. "I don't let it deter me."
It's a community showing strength and resiliency in the face of adversity.
