Florida tornado whacked new retirement community

[Carol C Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carol C]

I thought "The Villages" sounded familiar. It's one of those expensive, new-fangled retirement communities for "active 55+" people. Like Sun City and such. The video on CNN makes it really clear where the tornado devastated, as you can see big swimming pool near a clubhouse, big golf course, and homes laid out in a grid that has that kind of "intentional community" feel to it. I hope nobody we know lives there, but I think I met somebody on TUG or here that was retiring to that area. I wonder what kind of special assessments folks have to pay for common amenity areas when an entire planned community takes such a hit from Mother Nature. It looks really really bad down there around Lady Lake. To think they had *no* sirens installed there!

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

Our neighbors in Missouri have some good friends that moved there a little over a year ago. They were very lucky only lost a widow and some minor damage. They said it was bad in some areas of the Village.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

OMG, a work friend from here owns at the Villages..yikes!
and a friend from the DIS boards' Mom, aunt and uncle were affected by the storm....the aunt and uncle have a tree going thru their home like an arrow - luckily, none of those people were hurt...

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

the villages isn't an entirely new community, it started a very long time ago as a trailer community and has been bought out and added to and added to and added to. Many of the homes are vinyl sided rather than cement block construction so there could be very bad destruction.

Meanwhile it was in the 80's in Estero and I played in a golf tournament to return home to a mass of phone calls from geographically challenged relatives .

[JoAnn Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JoAnn]

the villages isn't an entirely new community, it started a very long time ago as a trailer community and has been bought out and added to and added to and added to. Many of the homes are vinyl sided rather than cement block construction so there could be very bad destruction.

Meanwhile it was in the 80's in Estero and I played in a golf tournament to return home to a mass of phone calls from geographically challenged relatives .

Oh, you have those kind of relatives/friends too, Pat? Isn't it amazing how we hear from them when any storm hits 'somewhere' in Florida. Guess they don't have maps to check out where we live!!! You must have had fun playing golf in this wind! It's blowing pretty hard here in Lehigh.

[funtime2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close funtime2]

My inlaws live in The Villages. They were lucky with no damage.

[Luanne Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Luanne]

A friend from another site is calling to check on her friend who lives there. How scary.

[rapmarks Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close rapmarks]

does anyone know which sectionof the villages was hit?

[Ann-Marie Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ann-Marie]

We were looking at the pictures on TV, and they look very similiar to Sun City. We were wondering who the builder was. However, Pulte who is building Sun City does not use vinyl siding.

[shopgirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shopgirl]

Our niece's parents live there. I hope they are okay!

[funtime2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close funtime2]

I know that one of the Country Club Restaurants was destroyed because that is where my SIL worked. I don't know much about the area as we have only visited there one time.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Just got an email from my friend who will be retiring down thee in July...

"Hi Pat!

Hope all is well with you. I was finally able to get my friend on a cell phone last night. Our house was unscathed; but, from what she told me the path of the tornado was about 1/4 mi from the house! She also said the devastation in the path of the storm was unreal.
Thanks for checking.
Liz"

The pictures on TV are terrible...my thoughts and good wishes go out to all the victims

[grest Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grest]

The Villages is about 1/2 hour away from where we live. It is a huge adult community with many neighborhoods (thus the name villages). The company is well insured and residents should not have to pay anything extra for the damage in common areas. The community is also very civic minded, and no doubt will help one another as much as they can. Surrounding communities are also jumping in to help. Other neighborhoods outside the villages were hit, and several lives lost, including at least 3 kids...so sad. We were not prepared...
We are fortunate to have experienced only moderate winds, severe downpours...our lamppost was damages, but that's it..
Connie

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

The Villages is about 1/2 hour away from where we live. It is a huge adult community with many neighborhoods (thus the name villages). The company is well insured and residents should not have to pay anything extra for the damage in common areas. The community is also very civic minded, and no doubt will help one another as much as they can. Surrounding communities are also jumping in to help. Other neighborhoods outside the villages were hit, and several lives lost, including at least 3 kids...so sad. We were not prepared...
We are fortunate to have experienced only moderate winds, severe downpours...our lamppost was damages, but that's it..
Connie

Oh Connie,
I just posted an inquiry about you in the Hot Tub at the same time you were posting this.
I am so relieved to hear that you are fine.
Thanks !

[I-DE-HO Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close I-DE-HO]

Our neighbors in Missouri have some good friends that moved there a little over a year ago. They were very lucky only lost a widow and some minor damage. They said it was bad in some areas of the Village.

A widow? How sad.

Phil