Residents search for answers at tornado town hall

FORT PIERCE, Fla. – It’s been weeks since tornadoes from Hurricane Milton devastated neighborhoods in St. Lucie County.

Many residents are still looking for help. A handful of them came to a state-organized town hall for tornado victims in St. Lucie County.

“When you see it and experience it personally, it’s devastating,” says Melanie Hardegree.

Hardegree lives in Spanish Lakes. Her house had serious damage.

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“I need a new roof,” she said. “All my gutters are gone. There was a house at the back of my house. It wrapped itself around the tree in my backyard. One of my neighbors died there.”

Milton destroyed 150 homes in St. Lucie County. That’s why the executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management was on hand to provide guidance on the recovery process.

St. Lucie County Region

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“My recommendation is that you take every possible path. You register with FEMA, individual assistance, you go to nonprofits, you go to small business administration,” said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of FDEM. “You take every possible path.”

Hardegree was not just there for himself. She was there to help her neighbors who had lost everything.

“I asked specifically: now her situation has changed,” she said. “She initially applied thinking she was going to fix her house and now it’s a situation where she can’t live in that house.”

Today she got an answer to her question.

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“Make sure you keep your registration up to date, no matter what happens, keep it up to date. As your circumstances change, you may be eligible for more programs and funding,” Guthrie explains.

There is still a lot to do for these residents on the road to recovery, but every day is a step closer.

“I think if everyone continues to try to love each other and be there for each other, we can get through anything,” Hardegree said.