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‘I’m still here, so that’s a blessing’: Families remain in shelters 8 days after Ian

Some Lee County residents choosing to arm themselves over looting concerns

ESTERO, Fla. – Families left homeless after Hurricane Ian continue to live in shelters and wonder what do to next, eight days after the storm made landfall in southwest Florida.

Hertz Arena in Estero is one of those shelters, run by the American Red Cross.

Single mom Kionna Tovler stayed there with her two children.

“It’s hard with the kids, but we (are) making it,” she said.

Local 10 News reporter Christian De La Rosa met Tovler, 6-year-old KJ and 3-year-old Royal as they waited on a volunteer to bring them food.

“(The hurricane) wasn’t scary to me,” Royal said. “Because I’m OK.”

Tovler said she’s just happy they’re all safe.

“You got to make the best of everything,” she said. “You know, I could’ve been dead. I’m still here, so that’s a blessing”

If you’d like to help, visit the American Red Cross’s website.

Elsewhere in Lee County, some residents are choosing to arm themselves over looting concerns.

“We’re just not going to take that stuff around here,” Chase Hussey said.

Hussey and Erica Racz put up a warning outside what’s left of their home—”YOU LOOT WE SHOOT.”

“We just don’t have a lot left and we have to protect the little that we have left,” Racz said.

“I pretty much armed a couple of the neighbors because they did not have weapons,” Hussey said.

While looting doesn’t appear to be a widespread problem, deputies have made a handful of arrests.


About the Authors
Christian De La Rosa headshot

Christian De La Rosa joined Local 10 News in April 2017 after spending time as a reporter and anchor in Atlanta, San Diego, Orlando and Panama City Beach.

Chris Gothner headshot

Chris Gothner joined the Local 10 News team in 2022 as a Digital Journalist.

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