Locals dealing with Florida devastation

QUINCY, Mass. — The Florida devastation is impacting the Boston-area community. We caught up with several people who are trying to locate loved ones and check in on properties they have in southwestern Florida.

The photos are trickling in as Vaughn Wedge assesses the damage to his North Fort Myers winter home from up here in Massachusetts. “I tried to reach out to everybody I could to make sure everybody is okay,” said Wedge. Vaughn says his place is still standing and all of his family and friends are safe, but the community appears to be devastated. “It wont be the same as it was when I left, I know that,” said Wedge, “the outskirts of Ft. Myers beach, which is a tourist destination, was devastated. Sanibel Island, they lost the bridge going to the island. They can’t get on or off the island because there is a whole piece of the bridge missing,” Wedge said.

We also connected with a West Bridgewater native Frank Micciantuono, who is living just outside of Tampa. ”I’m driving around trying to find a signal to reach out to family and friends because there is no Facebook, there is no cell service,” said Micciantuono.

We are also seeing some of the flooding in streets and inside people’s places. “I’m a lifelong New Englander so I’m not used to cat 3 or cat 4 hurricanes. The only thing that comes close is Nor’easters,” said Micciantuono.

Now people are waiting for flights to resume in and out of Florida. “I’m anxious to get down there and see my place and see my friends,” said Wedge, “I got a lot of information from a lot of people. Everybody is fine and that is the most important thing.”

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