UPDATE: Electricians were on the property Friday repairing broken meters and poles. Property management told ABC7 that power should be restored to residents this week.

UPDATE: Colonial Mobile Manor’s resident manager told ABC7 Monday that an electrician will begin work today, but it’s still unclear when power will be restored. Palmetto City Mayor Shirley Groover Bryant also met with residents and called on the Red Cross to help meet their needs.

PALMETTO, Fla. (WWSB) – Mobile home communities were hit hard across the Suncoast by Hurricane Milton. While many are beginning to recover from the storm, others are still struggling to restore power.

At Colonial Mobile Manor in Palmetto, most of the more than 200 residents got power back on Oct. 14 and 15, except for a few who remain in dire straits.

Barbara Williams and Anna Wheeler are two residents struggling with this problem. Milton’s anger broke and damaged the meters at the back of their houses. They called out FPL for their power, but they told ABC7 that FPL told them there was nothing they could do.

“I called FPL and they told me they were waiting for management to do something to fix the meter there, and then they could fix my electric,” said Anna Wheeler, who will be passing her 12th day without electricity.

We have confirmed with FPL that property management must complete repairs before power can be restored.

Wheeler is disabled. She also takes medications that need to be refrigerated. Unfortunately, she lost all of her stock after it was spoiled. She tells ABC7 she can no longer take her medication.

“I fell to the ground and had to stay there until the fire department came,” Wheeler said, explaining her fall the other day while in the dark.

“I was told they were waiting for someone to come and put up a pole to install the meters, but let’s face it, I’ve given up now,” Barbara Williams said. The resident says she called property management to find out when the meters will be fixed, but she still doesn’t have a definitive answer.

“This is what happens to poor people in poor communities,” Williams said through tears, “they have to suffer,” she added.

ABC7 found the “Resident Manager” of the property. She didn’t want to go on camera. She also told ABC 7 not to do the story. She said Colonial Mobile Manor hired an electrician to get parts for the meters. She said she hadn’t heard from the electrician and didn’t know when they would return. She also said she has no timeline for when power will be restored to residents. She added that she was doing her best.

Palmetto City Mayor Shirley Groover is aware of the situation and tells ABC7 she plans to send relief supplies to residents still without power.

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