A Florida native, Julie Moore is no stranger to hurricanes, but it was the aftermath of back-to-back storms that brought her and her husband, Charles, to Babcock Ranch. The couple had just moved into their North Fort Myers condo when Hurricane Ian barreled through the region in 2022, forcing them to evacuate.
“We came back to shingles and debris in the yard and a garage that had taken on six to ten inches of water,” recalled Julie, a 30-year retired Army veteran. “The inside was fine, but we had boxes, mattresses and clothes in the garage. Everything had to be tossed.”
The Moores, the only full-time residents in their building, soon learned the main road and their yard were prone to constant flooding following heavy rain. Just as they began to recover, Hurricane Milton struck in 2024, bringing with it more flooding and anxiety — and another evacuation…