This browser does not support the Video element.
3 years since Hurricane Nicole, Wilbur-by-the-Sea homeowner rebuilds
Three years after Hurricane Nicole ripped across Florida’s east coast, one resident of Wilbur-by-the-Sea is finally home again — in a brand-new house built where his dream home once stood before it collapsed into the ocean.
WILBUR-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. - FOX 35's LuAnne Sorrell first met Ken Meister and toured his home one day after Hurricane Nicole slammed into the coast of Florida in November 2022.
Sorrell went back to Meister's home in October 2025 to check on the status of the construction and talk with him about his three-year journey.
Local perspective:
Ken Meister was all smiles, three years after his home fell into the ocean in Wilbur by the Sea. He now has a new home and it is a fortress. He says he can’t wait to start having family gatherings here once again.
When Sorrell first visited his home, half the house was missing, washed out to sea. Meister was in tears. He was hoping to save the house but realized it was better to demolish it and start fresh. Meister says the past three years have been frustrating.
"I've been renting condos. I've spent some time in Jupiter. I spent some time in Naples. I spent some time renting a condo down the street. It gets tiring to not be home and living out of suitcases really for three years," says Meister.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX LOCAL APP
He has also spent a lot of time dealing with permitting, building and delays, but now the home is finally complete. He says he no longer worries about hurricanes because he built this home to withstand natural disasters.
"We have 55, 32-foot-deep concrete pilings under the house and then a 16-inch slab above those pilings," he explains.
SIGN-UP FOR FOX 35'S BREAKING NEWS, DAILY NEWS NEWSLETTERS
He also constructed a fortified seawall around his entire property. Many of his neighbors chose a different path. When you drive along State Road A1A, most of the destroyed homes are now gone. They were not salvageable.
Many of the homeowners chose not to rebuild, because they either could not afford it or did not want to live on the beach any longer. Now what you see is for-sale sign after for-sale sign, but Meister believes Wilbur by the Sea will once again be a beautiful neighborhood.
He says, "I think this whole Wilbur-by-the-sea area is going to look really nice in about 10 years, but right now, it’s still looking a little wounded."
The Source: This story was written based on reporting by FOX 35's LuAnne Sorrell and an interview with homeowner Ken Meister.