Hurricane Irma, which struck The Villages with a vengeance in September, has been called a 150-year storm and it was the No. 1 story of the year.
Before the hurricane arrived, gas lines formed, pumps ran dry and bottled water disappeared from store shelves.
A gas line formed on County Road 466A at the Marathon station. Irma’s deluge flooded golf courses, streets and tunnels.
Aerial photo of Turtle Mound Golf course (courtesy of FAA certified drone pilot George Meidhof, Certificate #3920430) Hardest hit in The Villages was the Historic Side, where homes were under water, residents went days without power and the entrance to the golf cart bridge flooded cutting off access to The Villages for some of the most vulnerable residents of Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
A man attempts to drive to the golf cart bridge over U.S. Hwy. 27/441. The cleanup was controversial.
Yard debris awaits pick up in the Village of Winifred. Frustrated residents were angry after piles of debris sat in their front yards, waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the arrival of FEMA contract haulers who headed south in pursuit of greater returns. Fed-up residents began dumping debris at postal stations and recreation centers, despite pleas from District officials.
Debris at the Village of Bonita postal station. And many residents were angry and embarrassed when The Villages applied for millions of dollars of FEMA reimbursement for the cleanup.
A followup debriefing brought leaders together to look at how things might be handled if another Irma comes to town.
Villages Friendly Folks organized supplies for victims of Hurricane Irma on the Historic Side.
