Hurricane Wilma Damages Key West Real World House

It appears that Hurricane Wilma seriously damaged the Real World Key West house.

The morning after Hurricane Wilma passed north of Key West (Monday), a 6-7 foot storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico flooded Key Haven and other low-lying neighborhoods in the Lower Florida Keys. Residents homes were inundated with sea water, and automobiles on the street were ruined by the windshield level saltwater. And nearly as quickly as it came it, it receded back in to the ocean. What it left in it's wake is breathtaking. Entire households' furniture was soaked and ruined, flooring buckled, and nearly everything was out of place. A drive through the area clearly showed the damage - with piles of furniture, rugs, mattresses, and other possessions deposited in front of nearly every home.The Real World house, on Driftwood Drive, had its stylized gate ripped free, and left lying by the road. The mailbox, a statue of a manatee, was stained with mud and had a hand-written message propped in front of it. It read, "Security guard 'Manny' on duty!" Even Manny couldn't stop the damage: the door to the mailbox Manny was missing.The house is still boarded up, with it's aluminum hurricane shutters in place. There is no sign of anyone there. This house has a pool in the living room. With the sea-water flooding the house, I can only imagine what that looks like now. My guess is that Bunim-Murray/MTV lost their ability to film there due to the extensive electrical, lighting, and other systems vulnerable to the water. If they have to re-wire the whole production, this would likely take approximately 6-weeks. So, that is probably the end of things for the Key Haven house. Looks like Ed Swift got his wishes to come true...MTV is gone. Is he so powerful and connected he called in a favor with mother nature?

Here are photos of the house post Hurricane Wilma:

Here is the house as it stands yesterday, still boarded up and sandbagged. Half of the large driveway gate, adorned with airplane parts, was torn off.

The damaged gate, after being ripped from its hinges, lying beside the street. Notice at the end of the street, a pile of ruined furniture in front of a neighbors house.

In front of the Real World Key West house is a manatee
statue that appears to have been shot in the neck with a mailbox. Yep, this kind of Florida kitsch is still produced today. The sign, in the scrawl of a madman, notifies the public of security.

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