The Hodges family lost their home to Hurricane Helene and fire—but not their faith, gratitude, or love for the island they call home.
A year after Hurricane Helene devastated Siesta Key and sparked a raging house fire that burned the waterfront home of Morgan and Lisa Hodges to the ground, the couple stood at the edge of what was left of the home’s foundation, ready to move ahead. With only rubble remaining and the Intracoastal behind them, a light rain broke through cloudy skies as Morgan and Lisa spoke about the night that changed their lives in late September 2024.
At their side was C. J. McCormick of Osprey-based One Mission Disaster Response. That night, McCormick and Matthew Tuggle, founder of One Mission, rescued Morgan and Lisa Hodges, along with seven members of their family and their two dogs. The pair arrived in a high-water utility vehicle along with DeSoto County emergency responders who were assisting. “We heard an urgent call on the police radio, and we came to help,” said Tuggle. “There was five feet of water in some streets on the Key near their house. We got the Hodges and their dogs and took them over the South Bridge. We had arranged for an ambulance to meet us. They were waiting for them. Then we went back over the bridge to help others.”
Thanking McCormick, the two spoke of the exceptional bravery that he and Tuggle showed that night. As they presented McCormick with a donation to One Mission Disaster Response to express their gratitude, a tearful Lisa said, “We can never repay you enough.”…