WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — A family of nine from Hillsborough County, including two children with special needs, lived together under one roof until Hurricane Milton destroyed their home after 25 years. 

What You Need To Know

  • A family of nine from the Forest Hills area, including two children with special needs, lived together under one roof until Hurricane Milton destroyed their home after 25 years

  • The family has since sold their home at a loss to pay off their mortgage and start over

  • Unable to find a place where they could all stay together, the Torres family had to split into different households

  • The Torres family is in need of some specialized items — to learn how to help, visit this link for more information

The Torres’ home is one of many in that community that flooded during Hurricane Milton. The family has since sold their home at a loss to pay off their mortgage and start over.

After spending months in hotels, they found a new home in Wesley Chapel just in time for the new year, although it doesn't fit the entire family.

Gwendolyn Torres says being split into different households is an adjustment that family members with special needs are still getting used to.

“We’re all apart, my daily routine with my special needs grandson, who I see very infrequently now. He had to start a new ABA program,” she added.

Torres' son, who also has special needs, is staying with her, but one box at a time, Torres is gradually making her new place feel like home.

“Yep, that’s all that matters," she said while glancing at a cell phone video of her grandchildren during Christmas. "Everything else is replaceable,” 

Spectrum News first talked with Torres in October, after the National Guard evacuated her family. 

She says the overflow of a retention pond across the street from her home was unexpected.

“Over 25 years, this (water) has never come out,” she said then.

Torres didn’t think flood insurance was necessary since that area is in Zone X and, according to FEMA, is not considered a flood zone. 

One day, she hopes they can all reunite under one roof. Until then, Torres says she’ll continue to advocate for her family and the needs of other storm victims so they won’t be forgotten. 

“I suffered through that. And still now, FEMA's assistance is still pending," she said. "A lot of you know, we're struggling and we're still trying to rebuild. And everybody's Milton's come and gone, and life has gone on for everybody else. But this is still our reality, and this is still what we're dealing with."

The family is in need of some specialized items.

To learn how to help, visit this link for more information.