LAKELAND, Fla. -- When the going got tough after Hurricane Irma, one Lakeland family kept going.
Elizabeth Cruz and her siblings are Lakeland natives. They grew up in their family home on Ariana Street, right next to Dobbins Park.
- Family home destroyed, family members rebuilding
- The home wasn't covered by insurance
- Irma devastated parts of Florida last September
"It was just a great neighborhood," Cruz explains. "No fences in the yard and we’d play out until all hours of the night with neighborhood kids. Everybody hung out at our house. It was a gathering place."
Cruz moved back to her family home four years ago to care for her ailing mother, but only two years later she passed away.
The family home was signed over by the siblings, giving Cruz full ownership.
In the spring of last year, there was another loss. Her sister Janet’s beloved husband Mike died.
"Mike was an amazing man. He could do anything," Cruz said.
Cruz hoped for a light at the end of this dark tunnel, but Hurricane Irma was there waiting. Due to Irma, a huge tree crushed and destroyed the family home.
Her sister's rural property wasn’t covered by insurance and the damage was devastating.
"It was a little overwhelming. It was overwhelming for her. She is still pretty raw. She'd prefer not to think about it right now,” Cruz said.
While the Cruz family anticipated another hardship, family members gathered together to repair Janet’s house.
"I mean, went in and ripped out flooring, ripped out walls, took out insulation. Put fans in to dry out the house. Hauled stuff to the dump," Cruz said.
In a way, the bad from Irma turned good. Elizabeth Cruz had prayed before Irma about not being able to keep up with the old family house, but insurance allowed her to get a newer home after the storm.
All the work the family did to repair Janet’s home brought them closer together and feel more connected as a family.
“Because we’re so much closer now. We know we can count on each other. We’ve gone on vacations together since then. It’s been good bonding,” Cruz said.