Port Charlotte resident lives in tent following Hurricane Ian, awaits FEMA assistance

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — It has been over a week since Hurricane Ian’s winds and water tore through Southwest Florida, leaving many homeless in Port Charlotte.

Lisa Peterson went from living inside her car to now living in a tent with her furry companion Bella.

“It takes a lifetime to build something, and it only takes what, like, 24 hours, and it’s gone,” Peterson said.

That is the nightmare Lisa and Bella are living.

“People will say, ‘oh, it’ll be alright,’ no it won’t be alright because yea the hurricane came through, but what people don’t understand is the aftermath is there for a long, long time,” she said.

Since the second of October, these two have been sleeping inside her car.

“It left me and a lot of people homeless,” Peterson said. “I was just a renter. I didn’t own a home.”

She said if it was not for the 700 strangers visiting from various churches, all set up in Franz Ross field with tents, she would not have a place to stay right now.

“So now I am in a tent, I don’t know how long I am going to be able to stay in a tent,” she said.

Kristen Szych, the Franz Ross YMCA Executive Director, welcomed all these visitors with open arms, warm showers, and fresh food.

“For the next couple of weekends, they will come in on Friday evenings and then leave on Sundays,” she said.

Lisa knows her and Bella cannot stay camped out in Franz Ross’s field forever. 

And she is not the only one without a home and without a clue of what to do next.

“If I don’t find something here in about a week, through FEMA or through something else, then I am going to show up at my son’s front door,” Peterson said.

But she is grateful for the help she’s received from strangers.

Various YMCAs across SWFL are offering hot meals to residents, hot showers, and charging stations for electronics. They will also host Hurricane Relief camps. 

To look for available YMCA camps near you, visit their website: https://www.ymcaswfl.org/locations?type=ymca,camps,education-academies&amenities