CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — A massive cleanup is underway for thousands of people in Citrus County just two days after Hurricane Helene swept through the Tampa Bay area.
The hum of generators was the soundtrack in Ozello on Saturday. The power is still out in the coastal community as families survey damage from storm surge for the third time in about a year.
“I think people around here are pretty tired," resident Chris Fuhrer said. "There’s nothing we can do. The storms just get worse and worse every year. It’s so unfortunate, its such a beatuiful place, I don’t know why it continues to just be decimated."
Fuhrer came home Friday night to find several feet of water made its way inside, as Helene brought in 30 more inches than what Idalia brought.
It's a similar story in Crystal River, where full home's worth of damaged belongings lay out on the side of the road. Along King's Bay, several feet of water went into homes and businesses.
The popular Cracker's Restaurant and Bar is cleaning up and trying to get back open for next week.
"It’s crazy, it really is," Cracker's Manager Jason King said. "But, thank god for everybody that helps, because if we didn’t have that it would be weeks until we could open up."
Strength in community is shared across a slice of Florida that's been through so much.
The curfew issued in Evacuation Zone A for Citrus County will remain in place for the duration of the State of Emergency.