HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Before Hurricane Idalia smashed into a small fishing village in northwestern Florida, Charles Long, 68, was fixing up a two-bedroom house for him and his wife. After the August storm, he found remnants of it in a nearby canal and on a neighbor’s property.
Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Before Hurricane Idalia smashed into a small fishing village in northwestern Florida, Charles Long, 68, was fixing up a two-bedroom house for him and his wife. After the August storm, he found remnants of it in a nearby canal and on a neighbor’s property.
Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Before Hurricane Idalia smashed into a small fishing village in northwestern Florida, Charles Long, 68, was fixing up a two-bedroom house for him and his wife. After the August storm, he found remnants of it in a nearby canal and on a neighbor’s property.
To rebuild a new home elevated on stilts, as code requires, would cost $450,000, according to one estimate he got. He can’t afford that. Instead, he’s building a pole barn in Horseshoe Beach for a recreational vehicle he is saving to buy.
“I’m going to roll everything out of here” if another hurricane comes this year, Long said with a nervous chuckle, his face glistening with sweat. For people like Long, rebuilding after extreme weather disasters can be a long.