MADISON COUNTY, FL — A Greenville family of 9 is still living in campers after Hurricane Helene. Volunteers are now helping them rebuild.
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More than a year and a half after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region, the Greenville family of 9 is living in three campers on their damaged property.
FEMA funds helped the family purchase the campers as a temporary solution while they plan their next steps.
"We moved out of a four-bedroom house into like a one bedroom apartment more like," John Connell said.
Space is tight. The family shares 1 porta potty, and only 1 of the campers has running water.
"RV life ain't the way to live I mean really. But we deal with it with what we can do with," Connell said.
Volunteers and nonprofits — including International Orthodox Christian Charities and Starfish Disaster Recovery — are now stepping in, working to turn the damaged structure into a livable home.
"You know our brothers and sisters in these areas that are prone to disasters are suffering, and so we can't just sit by and not help," Andy Barber, site supervisor for International Orthodox Christian Charities, said.
The need extends well beyond this one family.
"There's still so many families — hundreds and hundreds really — in Madison County that still need help, and this hurricane hit over a year and a half ago," Sher Alloway, a Starfish Disaster Recovery representative, said.
For the Connell family, the community support is already making a difference.
"All of us lived here, you know? The kids and everything and we were good. We're grateful and we're thankful and it's just like it's a blessing," Becky Connell said.
Their story is part of a much larger and ongoing recovery effort across the state. FEMA has provided more than $1.7 billion statewide for Helene recovery, including more than $602 million for home repairs and $164 million for rental assistance. Federal data shows Madison County alone sustained more than $1 billion in damage.
Organizations say the immediate goal is to dry in the cinderblock structure and make it livable as a first step toward getting the family back into a permanent home.
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