MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — As inches of rain hit the Tampa Bay area this weekend, some residents in Ellenton’s Colony Cove community are worried that the storms could hurt their already damaged homes even more.

In late August, a thunderstorm and possible microburst severely damaged 44 homes in the 55+ community. Residents who were unaffected and able, ran to assist others by adding plywood patches and tarps to their roofs until they can find a permanent fix.

A new roof and much-needed home repairs have not been easy to come by. At first, residents say some were targeted by unlicensed contractors and scammers. Two weeks after the storm ripped through, many of the affected homeowners haven’t been able to secure a contractor either due to long wait lists, insurance hiccups, or lack of funds.

Treena Cunningham was visiting her elderly mother in Kentucky when her carport and part of her roof was torn off. She says residents came over to help patch the holes before she could even make it back to Florida.

“There were people in my house that I didn’t even recognize, but they’re part of our community,” she said. “It just made a huge, huge difference having the support that we had.”

Cunningham received a number of quotes from contractors to fix the roof and damage inside of her home.

“$33,000 was the first estimate and we didn’t even pay that for the house when we moved in,” she said.

Cunningham and her partner paid roughly $20,000 for their home when they moved in less than two years ago. She says they put a lot of money into it and the cost of repairs is far more than the cash they have on hand.

“You’re looking at thousands and thousand of dollars that we just don’t have,” she said. “You just don’t think it could ever happen to you, but it did and at the worst time.”

Thousands were raised through a fundraiser organized by the Colony Cove water aerobics club and the friendly social club.

HOA president Darlene Kornacker helped put together a Disaster Relief Fund for the affected residents. Through the community’s Helping Hands organization, she’s assisted in organizing fundraisers and making sure that those in need are getting some financial assistance.

In order to get every dollar possible, the elderly residents are working together to scrap the damaged roofs for cash and then give that money back to the affected homeowner.

Kornacker says because the storm was not classified as a tornado, there’s no FEMA or federal funding available for repairs.

If you would like to assist these residents, you’re asked to contact the Homeowner’s Association at (941) 705-1591.

The Colony Cove community has roughly 2,350 homes and 4,500 residents.