LOCAL NEWS

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members help clean up the aftermath of Hurricane Ian

Oct 1, 2022, 9:48 PM | Updated: Oct 3, 2022, 5:54 am

FORT MYERS, Florida — The recovery from Hurricane Ian will take months as it’s on pace to become Florida’s most expensive natural disaster. Still, hundreds of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are doing their part to start that process.

Church members, like Brad Westover, said the call to help clean up seems to be getting more frequent in recent years.

“Everybody that experiences a hurricane has some form of PTSD,” Westover said.

Maybe in the frightening moments that many have shared, the storms are powerful enough to wash yachts onto streets though it’s likely more in how they all get through it.

Boats blown to the shores because of the hurricane.

Westover is leading a team of volunteers from a building for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“As horrible as natural disasters are, you see the best of humanity,” he said.

Through chainsaws and patched-up rooftops, they go into neighborhoods where people like Mike Titus share that experience.

“I was here. Stood right there by that garage door, and I seen washers and dryers going 30 40 feet in the air, just like they paper,” Titus recalls.

Mike Titus, a volunteer who is helping with the clean-up.

Even though they share the traumatic experience with each other, Titus hopes they can now share the part where they help each other.

“We have plenty of Boston butts, ribs, chicken, we have all that,” Titus said. “So we’re going to fire up the smoker and feed everybody in here for free.”

It’s something everyone understands.

While Church member volunteers are out by the hundreds on Saturday, they’ll be out in the thousands in the weeks to come. Many of the hardest-hit areas are opened up, and many of them are a dozen or more hours from home to do it.

Church volunteers gather outside a local chapel with Brad Westover (right).

“We’re here together, we’re all in this together, and when things go down, we go down together, we pull together, and we make good things happen,” said Kent Nelson, a Church volunteer.

It’s the same thing that drives Titus to feed a neighborhood, even when his own family is struggling. He said some here haven’t eaten for a couple of days.

“Because it’s what God wants me to do, you know what I’m saying? Sorry, it’s what God wants me to do. I can’t do anything,” Titus said.

Natural disaster or not, it’s that compassion that brings us together.

“But it’s going to be alright, it’s going to be alright,” he reassures.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

[File] Utah Highway Patrol State Trooper car (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)...

Larry D. Curtis

Child struck, critically injured by tractor near Coalville

A tractor hit a 5-year-old boy who darted into the road, critically injuring the child.

11 months ago

(FILE) Police vehicles are parked outside the South Jordan Police Department on Friday, April 24, 2...

Michael Houck

Police: Three teens hospitalized after crashing into wall in South Jordan

Three teenagers were injured after crashing into a concrete wall Tuesday morning, police say.

11 months ago

Elephants Zuri and Christie will be transferred from Utah's Hogle Zoo to another accredited facilti...

Josh Ellis

Elephants leaving Utah’s Hogle Zoo after more than 100 years of care

Utah's Hogle Zoo elephants Christie and Zuri will be transferred to another accredited zoo, ending the zoo's continuous care of elephants after more than 100 years.

11 months ago

The town of Hideout wants to annex hundreds of acres from Summit County and Wasatch County, includi...

Michael Houck

Landowners in-between Hideout and Kamas file for township

A group of Summit County landowners filed to incorporate as a new town called West Hills Tuesday.

11 months ago

(Chopper 5)...

Debbie Worthen

Residents meet with Draper leaders to find out what’s next for neighborhood after landslide

Dozens of Suncrest residents met with Draper city leaders for a town hall-style meeting two weeks after the ground below two homes collapsed and sent them sliding down the mountainside.

11 months ago

Flooding temporarily closed state Route 39 in Ogden Canyon Tuesday morning. (Utah Department of Pub...

Josh Ellis

Utah roads, parks close due to flooding and high runoff levels

Several roads were closed due to flooding Tuesday morning, and warm temperatures will keep rivers and creeks running high throughout the day.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members help clean up the aftermath of Hurricane Ian