Gulfport residents are raising alarms about significant changes reshaping their community while they struggle to recover, months after Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated their town.

When floodwaters surged from the Gulfport Marina, the district neighborhood suffered widespread damage. More than twelve weeks later, longtime resident Marie Lamarre says many of her neighbors have yet to return.

“We’re the only ones living here full-time. Everyone else has been displaced by flooding,” Lamarre shared. “I miss my neighbors.”

Lamarre feels the devastation in Gulfport has been overshadowed by other events.

“The rest of the world has moved on,” she said. “But we’re still living this every day. I miss the community we used to have.”

Many homeowners have received substantial damage letters but face frustrating delays in securing permits to rebuild. Meanwhile, new homes are already being constructed in the neighborhood.

“This was the fly that landed on the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said DeLaran, another Gulfport resident.

DeLaran, like many others, is upset with WinWay Construction, a company she accuses of exploiting the post-hurricane recovery period. She helped organize protests, with signs reading “WinWay needs to go away,” now displayed in front of several homes.

According to DeLaran, WinWay Construction began building a new house on a lot where they tore down an oak tree last November, an action she calls a “hostile takeover” of their neighborhood.

“Instead of reinvesting in the community, asking, ‘How can we help rebuild your homes?’ WinWay swooped in,” DeLaran said. “They pressured people with offers to buy their properties, and now they’re changing the fabric of our community.”

Attempts to reach WinWay Construction for comment have been made, and WFLA is awaiting a response.

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(Image credit: WFLA)