‘We’re Perry strong.’ Recovery operations continue following Hurricane Helene. On Saturday, every local, state, and federal agency had boots on the ground in Taylor County, one of the most impacted counties in the Big Bend, as the second day of a long road to recovery began.
Massive rains from deadly Hurricane Helene left people trapped, without shelter, and awaiting rescue Saturday, as the cleaning began for a storm that killed at least 56 people, caused severe havoc across the Southeast, and left millions without power. Helene landed in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm late Thursday, packing winds of 140 mph. “I’ve never seen so many people homeless as what I have right now,” said Janalea England of Steinhatchee, Florida, a small river town along the state’s rural Big Bend, as she turned her commercial fish market into a storm donation site for friends and neighbors, many of whom couldn’t get home insurance. Volunteers put boxes of food and supplies onto cars in Perry as families who had lost power waited in line for assistance.
Judy Hayworth said her home was unharmed, but some neighbors were not so fortunate. “We’re Perry strong, and we’re gonna come back,” she said. Communities across the Big Bend received truckloads of storm aid. The Global Empowerment Mission in Doral was among the first to come.
“We’ve prepositioned vehicles with humanitarian aid in North Florida. They arrived immediately following the storm, and we’re distributing them to people in automobiles here today,” she explained. Families affected by power outages receive assistance from food and water to personal hygiene and cleaning materials as they wait for power to be restored. In Steinhatchee, homes and long-standing businesses have been destroyed.
Keaton Beach also suffered severe devastation, with boats thrown onto land and some residences falling into the water. Despite the destruction and loss, Hayworth thanked the helpers who had come up for them. “We’re grateful for everyone’s aid. God bless everyone. “Thank you, everyone,” she said. Additionally, the Florida National Guard is performing welfare checks on people who chose not to evacuate. According to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, there have been no reported deaths in Taylor County.
