(WSVN) - It’s been 20 years since Hurricane Wilma uprooted parts of South Florida. The record-breaking storm left a path of damage from Key West through Palm Beach County. 7’s Craig Stevens looks back at Wilma, 20 years after it made landfall.
Monday, October 24th. Hurricane Wilma struck Southwest Florida with 120 mile-per-hour winds.
The monster Category 3 storm covered most of Florida as it headed east toward Miami-Dade and Broward counties, hitting here as a strong Category 1, with some areas experiencing Category 2 force winds.
Woman: “It took our hurricane shutters right off the window.”
Wilma’s eyewall was between 55 and 65 miles wide. It covered all of South Florida.
The storm’s winds left a path of destruction from Miami to Fort Lauderdale.
The Broward County School Board headquarters suffered extensive damage, as did the Broward County Courthouse.
Woman: “Broward County, the district. Basically, it’s destroyed — it’s glass everywhere, it’s debris everywhere, papers everywhere.”
In North Bay Village, a man was rescued from a houseboat.
First responder: “We put the gentleman on a lounge chair and a backboard and pulled him off to safety.”
Other nearby boats were sunk from Wilma’s winds.
Man: “We’re watching docks ripped out, we’re watching boats sinking. This is our community, our friends, and we’ve lost it all. It’s all gone.”
Also gone: electricity. Ninety-eight percent of customers in South Florida lost power, primarily due to downed trees.
Woman: “They’re estimating us to be maybe another teo to three weeks before we get power back.”
Grocery stores had no power. Gas stations had no power. People waited hours in long lines for fuel.
Woman at gas station: “I’ve been here all morning!”
It wasn’t long before tempers flared.
Man at gas station: “Before you know it, everyone was out of their cars. Thank God the police came to squash the problem, but people’s tempers are high.”
Police had to be called to the few stations that had generators.
Gas station employee: “They were pushing towards the pumps. We had to shut the pumps down. They lined up, the police [were] in front of them, and even then, they were pushing against the police. It was pretty scary.”
With grocery stores closed, families became desperate to find ice and food for their families.
Reporter: “Did you eat anything?”
Girl: “Cereals.”
Reporter: “You had some cereals?”
[The girl nods.]
Reporter: “Anything else?”
Girl’s father: “Did you have milk?”
[The girl shakes her head.]
Girl’s father: “No?”
People who had gas could drive to government distribution sites. Others had to improvise.
For many it was a daily struggle.
Woman: “We eat what we can. Just ends and odds. It’s hard, it’s really hard, it’s hard “
Weeks after the storm, the hardships weren’t over.
Woman: “Water was everywhere. I was wondering where the water was coming from.”
Buildings damaged by the storm became unlivable.
Man: “They never told us that we had to move out or anything. I get here, and they told us, ‘This building has been condemned.'”
Hundreds of people were given hours to leave their homes, taking only what they could carry.
Woman: “I don’t know where we’re going to go. I don’t know.”
Wilma caused more than $20 billion worth of damage in Florida, and as a result of the storm’s impact, gas stations and grocery stores were mandated by law to have backup generators.
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