Hurricane Irma: Unseen by tourists, thread of Keys’ society unraveling
The sandal factories, shell worlds, and key lime stands advertise their colorful kitsch along the
But scratch the surface of that coconut-scented veneer and a different side of Hurricane Irma recovery is revealed.
A thread of Keys society -- musicians, artists, old-school Conchs and workaday Joes -- is unraveling.
People whose grip on Eden was tenuous before Irma blew their homes apart, are feeling it slip away entirely in the face of strict rebuilding codes that require raised structures fortified to withstand Mother Nature's worst.
It's a unique dilemma in an archipelago where there's no easy commute to cheaper suburbs. In other parts of the state, a trailer home lost to Irma could be replaced with another trailer home, said
On
The 74-year-old has six months to figure it out. March marks the end of
"We are trying with everything we can to stay," said Grimes, whose
Irma's year anniversary is a frustrating time for Keys residents still struggling. They want the world to know tourism is back -- their very livelihoods depend on it. They also want it known the person serving you fish tacos may be going home to a
PHOTO GALLERY: Hurricane Irma anniversary in the
"Sometimes I'm walking the dog and I'll hear a tourist say, 'Oh, they didn't get hit very hard, everything looks fine,' and I just want to scream," said
Or from
A storm for the record books
Hurricane Irma was born out of a tropical wave that left Africa
Irma's 80-mph gain in wind speed over a 48-hour period is a rate achieved by only about 1 in 30
As a trembling
Irma maintained Category 5 strength for a stunning 60 consecutive hours -- earning it second place for Cat 5 longevity behind the 1932 Cuba Hurricane's 72-hour record.
"You just had that very long buildup with Irma," said
Satellite images showed once lush tropical paradises scoured brown by windburn.
"Everyone was very hurricane aware," Brennan said.
Fearing a loss in communications at its
They were among an estimated 6.8 million Floridians who fled Irma as subtle shifts in the storm's path sent people rushing to the west coast, then north in 20-hour treks to
Brennan's family went to
"I remember finally falling asleep one night and then the alert went off on my phone when we issued the hurricane warning for
That was
Fifty-eight hours later on
Irma made a second landfall near
Strongest winds not always at landfall
While Irma's eye crossed at
It's also known for the "avenues." The checkerboard of letter-named streets are a mix of worn trailers, lofty houses, and for-sale signs planted in front of empty slabs where homes stood before the storm. In 2016, the
Grimes' blue-trimmed trailer still sits on her
She's waiting on permits to demolish her trailer, but at 74, she doesn't think she can afford a mortgage. She estimates it would cost more than
"It's difficult to maintain what you had when there are billionaires coming down and displacing us," Grimes said.
"No matter what kind of damage you had, you came home to a smelly refrigerator because of no electricity, but mine was totally gone, so that was kind of nice," said a tie-dye clad King, who is living in a SportTrek travel trailer
Four blocks east, 16
The one with the American flag out front is where 62-year-old
Sasser said his nickname is the "Southernmost artist." He has aspirations of painting more than palm trees on 8-by-11 canvases, but those are on hold. For now, he searches for a place to live and meets with a
"The worst part is not having any type of security or knowing where you will go," Sasser said. "The Keys have changed. They want a rich man's paradise now."
Sasser said he was told in late August he wasn't "actively pursuing" a permanent residence. He was given 15 days to move.
"Tell
A lack of affordable housing
According to the non-profit
"We've lost about 4,000 homes, either to total destruction or substantial damage," said
Neugent notes teachers, police officers, bus drivers and healthcare workers are also suffering from a lack of affordable housing and some businesses remain shuttered. In Marathon, the Burger King, IHOP and Wendy's are all still closed.
"We're still here, we're still standing, but we're not better, and the truth is, we'll never be what we were," Kaple said.
In addition to the housing challenge, hundreds of canals are still choked with debris. About 100 have been designated as top priorities for cleanup, filled with sunken boats, toppled trailers and all manner of household detritus -- washing machines, beds, sofas.
In Marathon, where Irma gusts were estimated to reach 115 mph, a trailer floated in a canal at the Key by the Sea RV and mobile home park in late August, only its roof visible. Next to it, the side of another trailer had risen to the surface after coming detached from a home still at the bottom.
Two canals east, a 32-foot sport fisherman named "No Sale" sat in black muck 20 feet deep.
Professional divers search the canals in what they call "braille diving" because they are feeling their way in the dark. When they come across something big, a barge comes with a crane to lift it out.
They found the No Sale where it sank alongside the canal-front duplex of
The couple stayed in their single-story, concrete block home through Irma. Water rose 3-feet high in the house, and despite a spiderweb of ropes meant to hold their boat steady, the No Sale began taking on water. Listing badly after the storm, there was no electricity to work pumps that may have saved it.
"I just stood there and screamed and watched her go," said Merando, who made sure her daughter in
On a Monday in late August, the No Sale rose again. But like the Keys, she may never be what she was.
"I hope someone comes along who will save her and restore her," Merando said. "Because she was a blast."
If you haven't yet, join Kim on Instagram and Twitter.
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