Struggles continue for thousands in Florida 8 months after Hurricane Ian as new storm season looms

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Eight months ago, chef Michael Cellura had a restaurant job and had just moved into a fancy new camper home on Fort Myers Beach. Now, after Hurricane Ian swept all that away, he lives in his older Infiniti sedan with a 15-year-old long-haired chihuahua named Ginger. Like hundreds of others, Cellura was left homeless after the Category 5 hurricane blasted the barrier island last September with ferocious winds and storm surge as high as 15 feet (4 meters). And again like many, he’s struggled to navigate insurance payouts, federal and state assistance bureaucracy, obtaining building permits, and simply finding a place to shower. Hurricane season begins June 1.