FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jeremiah Tolbert is living in a shelter nearly a week after Hurricane Ian destroyed his home and belongings in Fort Myers.
He decided to ride out the storm at home because he wanted to make sure his roommate, who didn’t want to leave, would be okay. She is 60 years old and recovering from cancer.
Tolbert’s dog and a friend's dog also hunkered down with him during the storm. Flooding inside his home got so bad that the water reached as high as his chest.
“Outside turned into pretty much a river of water and came through the door,” he said.
Tolbert said he had to help his roommate get onto a lifted table and hold up the dogs so they wouldn’t drown. Once things calmed down, they all got rescued by fire crews.
Tolbert and the dogs were then dropped off at a local shelter.
“They have us lined up in hallways of the high school with cots and the night I got there I was sleeping on cardboard,” he explained.
He said there are about 500 people still living at the shelter right now, and a lot of people have lost their homes and don't have anywhere to go.
After losing everything, Tolbert said he has no idea what he is going to do next. He said that he’s extremely thankful his roommate and he all made it through the storm.
He also met a man inside the shelter who he said has now become a lifelong friend.
If you want to donate to Tolbert as he rebuilds his life, you can find his GoFundMe here.