Hurricane Helene hit Florida as a Category four storm in September of this year, leaving almost 250 dead and causing over $113.5 billion in damage, with impacts felt as far as Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Its impact in the Big Bend region broke records in everything from storm surge to wind speeds, displacing and injuring thousands.
Not quite two weeks later, Hurricane Milton, a Category five made impact only slightly further south than Helene. The effects of the back-to-back storms, while still not completely realized, killed almost 300 people and caused tens of billions of dollars.
“My house got major damage, the rain and water went through our roof and got all over the furniture and into the dry walls, so we had to take out all the furniture and dry wall and put new ones in,” said Xavier Bridges (’27). “We had to stay at my cousin’s and grandparent’s house while people helped us clean out all the things that got damaged, like mirrors, tables, chairs, the roof [was damaged], and there was a lot of tree debris across the lawn. It took a lot of time to fix my house, and it’s going to take a couple of more weeks to get it finished, but it’s definitely way better now.”
Together, the two storms destroyed roughly 700 homes, leaving another 18,000 with significant damage, including hundreds in the Tampa area. The storm’s effect pushed the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to distribute over 1.2 billion in direct assistance, along with another $1.1 billion put aside for debris removal.
“My house got water damage, the roof and furniture were damaged, and the fridges and freezers were also damaged,” said Jeremiah Calloway (’25). “While our house was being fixed, we had to stay at a hotel for almost a month.”
Over 23,000 households have sought shelter in FEMA-provided hotels, according to the agency’s website. Residents in affected areas have also taken the opportunity to help those in need.
“While me and my parents didn’t have any damage to our apartment, we did go around and helped out those around us that needed it,” said Hannah Scott (’27). “And we will gladly help out others who still need it.”
Over $5.3 million has been raised by other public figures and response agencies, including President-elect Donald Trump.
“I’ve been impressed, actually, with the cooperation between all of our local communities, the state, and FEMA in preparation for the hurricanes,” said Florida Congresswoman Kathy Castor in an interview with Tom Hudson on The Florida Roundup. “And now it’s really up to Congress to focus on how we give FEMA, Small Business Administration, and our other agencies the hurricane recovery dollars that we’re going to need to rebuild in a stronger way here across the Sunshine State.
