Help Kaitlin recover from Hurricane Ian

This is a fundraiser directly for Kaitlin Knapp’s recovery from Hurricane Ian. She did not ask for this and is the last person who would ever center herself in a situation like this – but she just lost everything in the storm.

She became a news reporter for Fox 4 Now in Ft. Myers, Florida this summer and has been covering the hurricane nonstop. She had packed some stuff away to prep, but when the storm surged, she was out in the elements showing the viewers what was going on.

With little service, she managed to find out from a neighbor that her street was flooded. After working for three days straight, she came home to find her home in ruins.

The hurricane swept in and left her without furniture, clothes, keepsakes, memories and so much more. She has two dogs who she boarded during that time, so they are safe, but their toys and beds are gone. There is mud and debris all over the items that survived – making most of them unsafe or unusable.

Instead of grieving, she immediately went on live TV to show the viewers her damage and to let them know that the community is all in this together. You can check that out here: https://twitter.com/Kaitlin_Knapp1/status/1575618969960009728. Pictures are included below.

Due to the damage, she doesn’t know if she will ever be able to live in it again. In addition to all of this, she found out her renter's insurance doesn’t cover flood damage. She has applied for FEMA, but it is unclear when she will get that and if it will be enough to rebuild her life.

Her company, E.W. Scripps, has also set up a fund for Scripps employees. You can get to it by clicking here. The company and the Scripps Howard Fund are contributing gifts to this program, as well. Once again, we aren't sure when that will be able to get to her.

She is the hardest working person I know and puts EVERYONE before her, which is why she feels guilty asking for help. But we ALL need help sometimes.

Because of her job, she is reporting on the aftermath of the storm every day – and she wouldn't have it any other way – but this means she doesn’t have much time to think about and take care of herself. She is currently staying with a colleague in their home without power.

Thank you so much for any donation, sharing this fundraiser or kind words/thoughts headed her way. All the money will go directly into her account. She says if she gets more than she needs, she will be donating to help the flood recovery.

If you would prefer to donate to her directly, instead of here, her venmo is @Kaitlin-Knapp-2.

If you have any questions on the validity of this GoFundMe, please reach out. My name is Morgan Trau and Kaitlin is my best friend. My location is set in Columbus, OH, because that is where I live. We met while we were both reporting in Spokane, WA and moved on to different markets. You can find me online by searching my name or using the contact function here!