WAUCHULA, Fla. — Though he’s a traveling evangelist, Doyle “Dooley” Staton is stuck at home for now.
After 17 years, Staton and his wife made the last payment on their Wauchula home in April of last year, but right now, they’re in the middle of major home renovations and will likely be left with a lengthy list of expenses, thanks to Hurricane Ian.
As Ian passed and the river level rose, Staton’s home was inundated with 21 inches of floodwater. He and his wife were rescued by their son, who evacuated them from their front porch by jon boat.
“The water — if you look out here — that fence — you couldn’t even see the top of that gate,” Staton said as he peered out his back window, which faces toward the river.
As soon as he could, Staton returned home to make quick, necessary decisions. Friends and family members helped him quickly remove carpeting, strip waterlogged drywall, and toss out upholstered furniture. Had he waited, mold would have been an issue.
“It was a mess, but we’re getting it done,” he said.
Now, his group of family members and friends is helping replace drywall and make other repairs.
“It’s been a lot of work,” Staton said before hoisting a table from one room to another.
Staton is an optimist, and a spiritual person who’s guided by the Bible verse hung on his wall: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
Still, the recovery process is daunting, tiring, and overwhelming. Even though his home is looking better, many of his neighbors are not in the same boat.
“Can you see?” Staton asked as he placed his hand, palm down, at chin level. “They had it this deep right down there.”
At the end of his street, several neighbors’ earthly possessions are now piled as trash at the curb.
According to Hardee County Emergency Management officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross are in-town and actively assisting flood victims with food, financial assistance, and temporary housing. Debris removal and mosquito control are also underway.
The county has set up a hotline for anyone who needs free help cleaning up (stripping drywall and flooring, clearing trees, tarping roofs, and mitigating mold). The hotline can be reached at 800-451-1954.
Hardee County government officials are also in the early stages of discussing longer-term transitional housing needs and plans.
Additionally, a town hall meeting is being planned for next week to share vital recovery information with the community. Daily updates can also be found on the Hardee County Emergency Management Facebook page.
Staton believes the recovery process will take more than a year for some of his neighbors and hopes FEMA and other branches of government will follow through with adequate help.
In the meantime, he’s staying positive and trying to be an optimistic force.
“You know, that’s the thing about life,” he said. “You think you’re in bad shape? You just look around.”