'I've lost everything': 87-year-old widow still waiting on storm repairs
Share this @internewscast.com

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — With hurricane season looming just a month away, the community in Pinellas County is still dealing with the aftermath of last season’s storms.

Almost seven months have passed since Hurricane Helene hit, yet some residents of the Madeira Beach Yacht Club are still displaced, awaiting permits as the clock ticks down.

The hurricane season kicks off on June 1, but currently, numerous condos are not fit for occupancy. Many of these uninhabitable units belong to seniors who have yet to receive their permits.

Connie Noren, 87, has called the Madeira Beach Yacht Club home for more than three decades, but last year’s hurricane season changed everything.

“After 35 years, I thought that waters never came over the seawall before, so it’ll be okay because I’m alone now, my husband just passed,” Noren said. “Then I watched and I thought, Yeah, that water’s coming over the sea wall.”

As the storm surge moved in, she and her son found themselves trapped inside, but with help from her neighbor, she was able to escape.

“He came in through the back window of my unit and came in, and by then the water was up to here on me,” Noren said. “It was kind of scary. I can swim, but I didn’t know how I was going to get out of there.”

She said the storm swallowed more than her furniture, it swept away a lifetime of memories.

“I’ve lost everything. Everything, I’ve lost all the memories, all the pictures, all the souvenirs. I’ve traveled a lot with being a military wife, and I’ve collected a lot of stuff. So, it’s gone.”

She’s temporarily living upstairs thanks to a neighbor, but she’ll have to be out by June, right as hurricane season ramps up again.

For now, Connie is left navigating the red tape, the repairs and the reality of starting over at 87.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Senator Josh Hawley Proposes New Bill to Provide Americans with Tariff Rebate Checks

On Monday, Republican Senator Josh Hawley put forth a bill to issue…

Three Found Unresponsive Following Plane Crash into Ocean off California Coast

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) Three people were found unresponsive Sunday morning after a…

The Impact of the US-EU Trade Deal on Business Expenses and Consumer Prices

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula…

New Jersey Army ROTC Cadet Passes Away During Training in Kentucky

A 22-year-old Army ROTC cadet died during training in Kentucky last week,…

Durbin Calls for Release of Audio from Ghislaine Maxwell’s DOJ Discussions

Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is demanding that the…

Firefighters Combat Blaze at Home in Pesotum

PESOTUM, Ill. (WCIA) — Multiple fire departments in Champaign County are actively…

Trump Claims Epstein Poached His Employees, Causing Rift

() President Donald Trump stopped speaking with Jeffrey Epstein after he poached…

Boy Scout Rescues Tourist in Distress During Vacation

LOWELL, Mich. (WOOD) Knowing what to do when someone needs CPR can…

Parents Call for FDA to Resume Gene Therapy After Temporary Halt

() An Illinois family is urging the Food and Drug Administration to…

Jury Selection Commences in Murder Trial of Man Accused of Killing Ex-Orlando Magic Player Adreian Payne

ORLANDO, Fla. – The trial is set to begin this week for…

Republican Bill Proposes Renaming Kennedy Center to Honor Trump

(The Hill) – A House Republican’s bill would strip former President Kennedy’s…

Roy Cooper, Former Governor, Joins North Carolina Senate Race

Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is entering the state’s Senate race,…