TAMPA, Fla. — As we continue to see debris on every curb from back-to-back hurricanes, some residents are just now returning home to assess damage from hurricane Milton.

What You Need To Know

  • Residents in the Alafia Mobile Plaza are working to restore their homes after back-to-back hurricanes

  • Leticia Ortiz Rodriguez has lived in the area for 20 years

  • Rodriguez is receiving help from neighbors to restore her home

That’s the case for one family in Gibsonton who we spoke with as they were evacuating.

If you remember, just before Hurricane Milton was expected to touch land in Florida, Leticia Ortiz Rodriguez was frantically packing her items to head to Georgia. She was afraid of the damage the hurricane could bring.

A few weeks later and she’s back, processing everything she’s lost to both hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“We feel very sad and depressed, but we are trying to fight to move forward,” she says.

Leticia lost both her cars to flooding caused by Helene. Flooding is what also forced her and her three children to leave their home in the middle of the night.

She says it was very scary and what prompted her to make the decision to leave ahead of Milton.

“We were expecting not to come back to a home, because I heard Milton was coming towards us very strong. So we just left because we had already been flooded by Helene, so what were we going to do here?”

Leticia shared pictures of the damage in her home. Everything had to be thrown out and they were left with a few personal items.

But it’s thanks to her neighbors that she still has a place she can call home. They’ve been helping to reconstruct her house. “We had lost hope, but we are seeing that anything is possible, and my community has come together to help us. And it feels good that through all of this, we are supported.”

Aside from putting in new drywall and flooring, her community has given her a new fridge and a microwave.

Right now, they’re sleeping on inflatable beds until they can buy new furniture. “We’re happier because thankfully, little by little we are rebuilding,” she says.

On top of losing her home and her cars, Leticia says she lost her job. But she’s keeping a positive mindset that she’ll get back on her feet to create an even better space for her family.

Leticia has applied for FEMA help and is waiting to hear back. But she’ll also be looking for other resources she may be eligible for.