STOCK ISLAND, Fla. – After Hurricane Irma, some residents in the lower Keys who evacuated came back to find their homes destroyed.
Local 10 News caught up with a couple who returned to their mobile home in Stock Island, which had been crushed by a tree. Some neighbors said they had no idea anyone was in the home and believed it was abandoned.
But Jerry Malone and Joy Miller said they were determined to stay. Miller was covered with bandages after a sunburn. Malone said he was upset the tree hadn't been cut down before hurricane season.
With a disconnected phone and no new listed address, Local 10 caught up with the couple again with the help of neighbors. Turns out, after Miller said they were living in a FEMA trailer, the couple moved to a new mobile home several parcels down the road at the Island Life trailer park.
Miller said her housing issues have been resolved, but she's now dealing with medical issues.
"I got over the sunburn, but I fell out in the yard and I had to go into the hospital and had an operation on my spine, so I'm not doing that great," she said.
Other residents said they have been working to fix up their own homes, only to brace for yet another hurricane season.
"Very, very hard," one man said.
Mobile homes often house seniors, workers and families who need less-expensive housing in the Keys, but they are vulnerable in hurricanes.
According to Monroe County records, in Stock Island, of the structures affected by Irma, 17 were destroyed. Mobile homes are typically the hardest-hit.
Miller said she is pleased with her new home. And despite her medical issues, she said she is a survivor.
"This trailer is up high enough I'm not worried," she said. "When you live in [the Keys], you roll with the flow."
