MADISON COUNTY, FL — Two years after Hurricane Helene, Madison County families are still rebuilding — some living in sheds, others with damaged roofs.
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Remnants of a blue tarp still hang from a damaged roof where Nora Brooks lives. She has called the house home for more than 30 years.
After surviving two major hurricanes, Brooks says the damage left behind when her front and back doors were blown off their hinges still has not been repaired.
"My door is not fixed. My roof is not done. My bathroom, there's a leak. I have to put a tub there to catch the water," Brooks said.
Brooks considers herself fortunate to still have a roof over her head.
Just around the corner, the damage tells a different story of recovery.
For Jeanette Christian, recovery now means living inside a small shed after her trailer was destroyed.
"I didn't have nowhere else to go, so I had to end up moving in this shed, but thank God I did have somewhere to hide my butt," Christian said.
Guarded, but resilient, Christian opened the door to her temporary home for a brief look inside the cramped space filled with what she could salvage after the storms.
Cathy Cooley with Starfish Recovery says they first met Christian after Hurricane Helene left her trailer split apart.
"My daughter actually found her. She was helping volunteering at a time, and she made a wrong turn and came down the street and found her sitting outside," Cooley said.
State and federal recovery programs continue operating across parts of North Florida, but Cooley says many rural residents like Christian still struggle with documentation, transportation, internet access, and navigating the recovery process.
"Biggest struggle with a lot of these people and the poor sections are the people that's been forgotten in our town, is they don't have emails or things like that, and with a lot of help that's out there if you don't have an email on the email you and you don't get back to them then you don't get no help," Cooley said.
For many families, the challenge is not just the storm damage. It is waiting for help.
With a major funding gap still existing, Starfish Recovery has stepped in to help connect neighbors with resources and support.
"Sometimes you have to sit back and wait, but help will come," Brooks said.
As a new hurricane season continues, these families say they are still trying to recover from the last ones, but they remain hopeful.
"Thank God I'm still here. That's the best part about it. Because the house ain't worth nothing who wants your life gone," Christian said.
Cooley says hundreds of families are still in need of safe shelter following the storms. She encourages anyone needing help to reach out to Madison Emergency Management or Starfish Recovery for assistance.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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