LAKE CITY, Fla. — The cleanup has already started in Lake City where trees were uprooted from the wind gusts of Idalia and debris was left in the streets throughout the city.
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While we know other areas of Florida were hit much harder, some community members are going to need some help. Herman Mendoza’s car was crushed by an uprooted tree and another tree branch damaged his roof.
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“I’m sore, okay but I’m alive, my whole family is alive,” he said.
Mendoza was outside fixing his generator as the storm passed through. He had family, friends and a tree cutting service to help during a difficult time. The good news is -- nobody was hurt.
“My wife was inside she came running, she knew I was outside and she was afraid,” Mendoza said.
Bobby Simpson came to help and cut parts of the tree into smaller pieces to make it easier to dispose of. He and his team also added a tarp to the roof until there’s a permanent solution.
READ: Jacksonville spared the worst of Idalia, city still has cleaning up to do
“We’re going to get rid of it we’re going to move it, it’s going to be piece by piece so our equipment can handle it like I said this was a last-minute thing, but these are things you can’t prepare for,” Simpson said.
Just a few streets down, an oak tree broke from its bottom landing on the edge of George Magee’s roof.
“Started to go into the kitchen, we heard a big boom and the house shook a little bit,” Magee said.
From Magee’s house, just minutes down the road on Southeast St. Johns Avenue, debris filled the streets.
READ: Help arrives in Glynn County for cleanup and to restore power in Idalia’s aftermath:
“The tree cracked, took out our neighbor’s cable wire and then part of the power lines there,” Beverly Romine said.
For both Magee and Mendonza, they’re just thankful it wasn’t any worse.
“The fire department came over, the sheriff’s office came over too, Florida power... they all checked in and everything is fine,” Mendoza said.
Magee said he’s just glad it wasn’t any worse.
“I’m thankful, God is good,” he said.
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Columbia County Emergency Management told Action News Jax over the phone they are going to have crews assessing all of the damage on Thursday. They’ll be looking to see if they meet the threshold for FEMA help and use for reimburesemnt purposes after the storm. If you’re dealing with damage, they recommend calling your insurance company to get the wheels in motion. As far as city crews, Action News Jax was told they’ll remove debris off public property but won’t be able to if it’s private.
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