Orange County man returns home nearly 3 years after Hurricane Ian: 'Like winning the lottery'

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Nearly three years after Hurricane Ian tore through Central Florida, one Orange County homeowner is finally getting a fresh start.

Lorenzo Turner, 64, returns to his Orange County home after it was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.

What we know:

Lorenzo Turner has lived in his home for almost 40 years, but Hurricane Ian left it with severe damages, including a damaged roof and extensive water issues throughout the house.

Turner, who uses a wheelchair and has been recovering from a stroke, says he worried he would never be able to afford the repairs.

"I thought I had to spend the rest of my life stuck in the situation I was in," Turner said.

That changed through Orange County’s Recovers program, which helps residents with unmet hurricane-related home repairs using federal disaster recovery funding. 

Lorenzo Turner, 64, returns to his Orange County home after it was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.

What is the Orange County Recovers Program?

The Orange County Recovers program helps residents whose homes were damaged by Hurricanes Ian and Milton. Orange County officials say the program is still assisting other families across the county who are continuing to rebuild from hurricanes.

Program managers say Turner was one of the first to apply and qualified immediately.

Lorenzo Turner, 64, returns to his Orange County home after it was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.

The reveal

Turner’s home is now fully renovated including accessibility modifications that allow him to live more independently.

"We were able to come in and basically rehab his entire home," said Sherry Julien, a project manager for Orange County Recovers. "He suffered quite a lot of water intrusion and damages."

When Turner walked through the finished home for the first time, he was overwhelmed.

Lorenzo Turner, 64, returns to his Orange County home after it was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022.

"It look like a million-dollar house," he said. "I feel like I hit the lottery."

Turner says the renovations have been life-changing.

"I just thank God for this program… from the bottom of my heart," he said.