A couple from Quebec saw their dreams of retirement in Florida shattered by Hurricane Ian, which hit the US state on Wednesday afternoon.
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The couple own a mobile home in Fort Myers, a community hit hard by the devastating storm.
“I’m going through mourning, it’s not complicated. It is certain that there is no one dead there, but it is the mourning of all that”, confides Lise Soucy to TVA Nouvelles.
The couple’s mobile home was unfortunately not insured, like several other residences in the area.
Ms. Soucy has obviously not yet been able to go there to see the extent of the damage, but she fears the worst.
“We saw images on television, like everyone else, and there are people who stayed there, people who live there permanently, who told us that the park had 10 feet of water, so it’s sure that it will probably be a total loss for us too, so that dream is over, if you like,” says the co-owner, with tears in her eyes.
The woman is also saddened by the thought of losing the community spirit she cherished.
“There is a financial loss related to that, but there is also the loss of everything that we lived in the community,” says Ms. Soucy, who is also worried because she did not have a news from some residents who stayed behind.
The couple were due to travel to Fort Myers in December, but are planning to get there as soon as possible to see the damage to their mobile home.