TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Hurricane Helene made landfall in Taylor County one year ago, leaving behind immense destruction.
- Many neighbors are still dealing with insurance issues while others are still rebuilding their homes.
- But, marking one year, is still a monumental achievement for those who have been rebuilding since the storm hit.
- Watch the video to hear from community members.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
One year ago, Taylor County looked very different.
As neighbors braced for Hurricane Helene, a storm that decimated many parts of this county, including the coastal areas.
"Oh my goodness, I woke up this morning and was just, you know, got a sigh of relief that we weren't waking up to what we were woke up to a year ago," said Hope Webb.
Webb's house was destroyed during the storm. It's been a long year of rebuilding and resilience.
"I think that, you know, starting to see the homes come up and the debris go away and a little bit of normalcy, starting to see people be able to move forward has been uplifting for everybody, even those of us that are still struggling," said Webb.
Webb's story is one of many in this community.
"We're just kind of like, don't even say the H word," said Kerri Bowen, manager at Fiddler's Restaurant Bar and Grill. "We don't want to hear that coming nowhere near us."
"I's been an emotional day to wake up and say, wow, this was a year ago," said Bowen.
Where do you think that emotion comes from?
"It comes from a little bit of sadness, obviously, for the things that are lost, but a lot of gratefulness for the things that we have," said Bowen.
Fiddler's had back-to-back hits from Hurricane Idalia in 2023 and Hurricane Helene last year.
However, Bowen said, it's the hard work of the staff and community support that has kept them going.
"It's a place for jobs, that there's not a lot of jobs here, and we are providing that for this community, and they're, you know, in turn providing all of us, you know, a great experience," said Bowen.
Bowen said Helene has reshaped the way she tracks hurricane season, with daily check ins, and keeping an eye on the tropics.
While Bowen is praying for a quiet season, she has contingency plans in place and a suitcase full of knowledge and experience to know she'll make it through again if she needs to.
"There's always a way, you know, we'll get through it," said Bowen. "It's going to be hard, but just have faith and stay positive, which is really hard to do sometimes.
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