NORTH PORT, Fla. — With temperatures getting cooler, thousands of snowbirds have begun to return to the Tampa Bay area to escape the cold weather up north.
However, some are finding damage and debris left behind by hurricanes Helene and Milton. One North Port couple from Canada knows that story well and has a message for those struggling to recover.
John and Kelly Blaine who live in Canada during the warmer off-season months say they almost didn't think they'd be able to keep their home at the La Casa mobile home park in North Port. That is until they got a call from a friend in Canada who offered them a no-interest loan to at least get the roof up and figure the rest out later.
"I said 'No way, we're not going to be able to do it,' and then a bunch of angels flew in and helped us out and here we are," said John Blaine, La Casa neighbor.
Around this time nearly two years ago, the Blaines were not as cheerful or optimistic.
Hurricane Ian had just blown through and had taken off their roof.
"And our carport that we're standing under now, and we came to find the debris in the field beside us, and that was when Sarasota County passed the agreement that they would take it all away for us, which was great," said Kelly Blaine, La Casa neighbor.
That view of the mountain of debris is now gone and has given way to a small garden of storm-displaced potted plants that Kelly picked up from around the neighborhood.
The house too has also started to shape up to its normal state with plenty of work and a lot of love.
"We replaced these doors. The floors, we had to replace. And you can see, there is still plywood, but we can walk on them and it's safe. John himself, he was able to put all of the drywall in, and we're still working on getting that, how we're going to get it finished," Kelly said.
Looking through the pictures that documented their ordeal, they are in awe of how far they have come.
"Unbelievable. It's emotional. It brings tears to my eyes to see what we've accomplished," Kelly said.
After a few days back in the area, they have seen the devastation caused by Helene and Milton which has left many Tampa Bay neighbors in despair. Recalling that they were once in a similar position, they offered some advice to bring hope to those trying to rebuild.
"Our encouragement to everybody would be that don't give up. You can move forward and you can get back on your feet again," Kelly said.
"Hang in there, it can be done, it can be done. I didn't think we could do it but we've managed," John said.
There are various resources available to help everyone impacted by Helene and Milton. That includes how to apply for financial assistance, help to those displaced, mental health resources and important deadlines. A list of those can be found by clicking here or by downloading our 10 Tampa Bay app.