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FEMA begins lengthy process of delivering trailers to Hurricane Ian victims

Many people in Southwest Florida who have lost their homes from Hurricane Ian have been asking where the FEMA trailers promised by the state and federal government are.

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FEMA begins lengthy process of delivering trailers to Hurricane Ian victims

Many people in Southwest Florida who have lost their homes from Hurricane Ian have been asking where the FEMA trailers promised by the state and federal government are.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Many people in Southwest Florida who have lost their homes from Hurricane Ian have been asking where the FEMA trailers promised by the state and federal government are. FEMA said they’re starting to go out, although the process has taken time. Nearly every home in McGregor RV Park was destroyed by Ian’s winds and water.  The property now looks like a wasteland instead of a well-manicured park. Large amounts of debris and garbage have been left behind. People who lived in the park have been evacuated, and many of them, like T.R. Robertson, want to know where the FEMA trailers they so desperately need are. “I read about these FEMA trailers so I called and had another inspector come out,” Robertson said. He is among the thousands who lost their homes in Southwest Florida. The travel trailer he called home was submerged in stormwater and completely ruined forcing him to live in his car for a month until a friend took him in.   He’s now awaiting help from FEMA. FEMA External Affairs Officers said Friday in a telephone news conference that the condition of many of the properties making the requests were still not suitable to house a trailer.  FEMA said it can’t legally just deliver an RV and set it up on a property, explaining that HOA and other county and city ordinances can often get in the way. When asked what was taking so long FEMA Spokesman Keith Jones pointed specifically to the debris on commercial and private land sites. “There is debris on commercial parks and we’re working with park owners now if that debris is removed, and then we can bring units in,” Jones explained. Jones also confirmed that some trailers have started going out to storm survivors. “Currently we have 13 families housed.  The 2,200 in Lee will take a while,” Jones stated.  “My goal is all the private sites by the end of February and all the commercial parks by the end of March, and it will be well into the summer before the last group site is built and occupied.” When asked if FEMA had enough trailers to take care of the area’s needs, he said that was not an issue. FEMA said it currently has 84 homes going out to families in need in the coming weeks. FEMA also explained that many sites still don’t have power or water which is required before a trailer can be set up on the property. FEMA suggests that anyone who has a case with them should contact their caseworker for an update.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Many people in Southwest Florida who have lost their homes from Hurricane Ian have been asking where the FEMA trailers promised by the state and federal government are.

FEMA said they’re starting to go out, although the process has taken time.

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Nearly every home in McGregor RV Park was destroyed by Ian’s winds and water.  The property now looks like a wasteland instead of a well-manicured park.

Large amounts of debris and garbage have been left behind. People who lived in the park have been evacuated, and many of them, like T.R. Robertson, want to know where the FEMA trailers they so desperately need are.

“I read about these FEMA trailers so I called and had another inspector come out,” Robertson said.

He is among the thousands who lost their homes in Southwest Florida.

The travel trailer he called home was submerged in stormwater and completely ruined forcing him to live in his car for a month until a friend took him in.   He’s now awaiting help from FEMA.

FEMA External Affairs Officers said Friday in a telephone news conference that the condition of many of the properties making the requests were still not suitable to house a trailer.  FEMA said it can’t legally just deliver an RV and set it up on a property, explaining that HOA and other county and city ordinances can often get in the way.

When asked what was taking so long FEMA Spokesman Keith Jones pointed specifically to the debris on commercial and private land sites.

“There is debris on commercial parks and we’re working with park owners now if that debris is removed, and then we can bring units in,” Jones explained.

Jones also confirmed that some trailers have started going out to storm survivors.

“Currently we have 13 families housed.  The 2,200 in Lee will take a while,” Jones stated.  “My goal is all the private sites by the end of February and all the commercial parks by the end of March, and it will be well into the summer before the last group site is built and occupied.”

When asked if FEMA had enough trailers to take care of the area’s needs, he said that was not an issue.

FEMA said it currently has 84 homes going out to families in need in the coming weeks.

FEMA also explained that many sites still don’t have power or water which is required before a trailer can be set up on the property.

FEMA suggests that anyone who has a case with them should contact their caseworker for an update.