A week after tornado cleanup continues in south Fort Myers neighborhoods

It’s been one week since an EF1 tornado ripped through parts of south Fort Myers, doing damage in the Briarcliff and Eagle Ridge communities.

The cleanup is slow but steady.

Rob Outkerk struggled a week ago to free his home from the clutches of a tree.

Now, the tree is off his home and all of the trees are gone from his lawn.

“Every time we had either a tornado or we had a hurricane these branches came flying,” Outkerk said.

There is still a lot left to do.

Outkerk needs to pay for a new lanai.

“The pool cage is totally shot,” he said.

And he still needs to fix his roof and find out where some of the strewn-about items go.

“I don’t know where the hell it came from,” he said. “Landed in my yard.”

  Outkerk’s neighbors have work to do, too. 

Roofers, screen repairmen, and pool guys have lined Twin Eagle Lane for the last seven days.

Blue tarps cover so many homes and so many folks, like the Outkerks, still haven’t heard from their insurance.

“It’s frustrating the whole week, because you have so much to do and so much work,” Outkerk said.