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One of the first acts Ft. Myers attorney Zachary Zermay undertook after the storm was to provide insurance advice to the school that sheltered his family

Senior Editor News in Photos

'Keep us all in your thoughts and keep those donations coming to local charities. When the TV cameras finally disappear, there will be people here still struggling'

Zachary Zermay's house

Zachary Zermay fled his Ft. Myers home when the waters of the Caloosahatchee River begin to rise. He sheltered with his wife at an elementary school for three day before returning to his home to assess the damage. “It was like a bomb went off at my house. It looked like a scene out of the movie “Twister.”

Consumer protection and property claim attorneys have undoubtedly burned the candle at both ends in the days since Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida September 28.

For consumer protection attorney Zachary Zermay that work took on a whole new meaning in the hours before the storm came ashore — and immediately after it passed.

Zachary Zermay's home

When Zachary Zermay returned home, there was a was a 64-foot floating dock that made its way into his backyard.

“My practice is mostly remote, and I was working out of my house that day drafting court filings until about 1:30 p.m. when the power went off,” said Zermay of Zermay Law in Ft. Myers. “From my back porch, I saw the water from the Caloosahatchee River begin to rise and knew I needed to make it to safer ground,” Zermay said.

As conditions deteriorated, Zermay, his family, and three cats and a rabbit, made their way to a shelter on higher ground at the Tortuga Preserve Elementary School in Lehigh Acres.

“Everyone at the elementary school was very professional and the shelter was well maintained,” Zermay said.” We had power there until around 6-7 p.m. that evening.”

Once the storm passed, the work of a property claims attorney was just beginning. Zermay said he began by assisting the same school that sheltered him through the storm.

“Tortuga Preserve Elementary submitted a hurricane claim and it was instantly denied. The insurance company gave the school the runaround. The school’s flood insurance said that their damage was wind-related, while the wind insurance claimed it was flood-related. I was able to advise the school on how best to proceed moving forward.”

Zermay remained at the school’s shelter for three days before returning home to assess the damage.

“It was like a bomb went off at my house. It looked like a scene out of the movie “Twister.” There was a 64-foot floating dock that made its way to my backyard,” Zermay said.

For now, Zermay says he has a roof over his head and a bed to sleep in but cannot live in his own home, but the shell of the house appears to be intact. Many in Southwest Florida, he says, are hurting worse than he is.

“My heart breaks for everyone in Ft. Myers. I was here for Hurricane Charley in 2004, but that was more of a wind event. With Ian, the storm surge made it so much worse,” he said.

In the days since, Zermay has been inundated with frantic calls from clients and friends alike but his job has been made harder by the lack of resources in the community.

“There’s still no internet service in most places here, so having the ability to file certain documents is a challenge,” Zermay says.

Despite the hardships, Zermay said Florida’s legal community has gone above and beyond to help. He specifically noted Judge Marcia Morales Howard of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Jacksonville gave him a continuance for a case in her courtroom.

“The Southwest Florida community is very strong. We mourn those that we lost, and we will rebuild stronger,” Zermay said.

His answer was direct when asked how Floridians can help those affected by Hurricane Ian.

“Keep us all in your thoughts and keep those donations coming to local charities. When the TV cameras finally disappear, there will be people here still struggling.”

Zachary Zermay's home

The view from inside what’s left of Zachary Zermay’s home in Ft. Myers. Despite the hardships, Zermay said Florida’s legal community has gone above and beyond to help. He specifically noted Judge Marcia Morales Howard of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Jacksonville gave him a continuance for a case in her courtroom. “The Southwest Florida community is very strong. We mourn those that we lost, and we will rebuild stronger,” Zermay said.

News in Photos