Work begins. August 9, 2012.  Permit from Lee County finally is granted.   Tropicana Forum Photo

By Paul Goldfinger     Editor Tropicanaforum.com

A mini-tornado tore through Tropicana.  Only two homes were significantly damaged, and one of them was ours on Camelia Drive.  The carport was destroyed.  It was like a bomb had hit.  It was a surgical strike since no one else near us had similar damage.

It was unbelievable.  I thought of terrorism, but the Lee County Sheriff scoffed at that.

The insurance company paid for the cleanup, but after that they paid very little, and the reconstruction had to be done following current expensive codes.

You can see the work today  at 16611 Camelia.  That carport will be the last thing standing.

Mostly we paid out of pocket, and it cost over $10,000.   There always exists the possibility of a serious problem when you live in a manufactured home, and the insurance avaialbe is typically inadequate and costly.  A hurricane could demolish the entire park.

So, if you plan to stay, you might want to create a special savings account in case all hell breaks through.

THE CRESTS: