CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Several businesses are banding together to pick up the mess left behind from a tornado that hit Thursday morning.

What You Need To Know

  • Citrus County residents continue to clean up the damage left from a tornado that hit the area Thursday morning

  • One of the businesses impact was Crystal River Kayak and Dive Center

  • Don Markham is the manager of Crystal River Kayak and Dive shop, he’s been working since Thursday to clean what once was the shop

  • The kayak shop will be demolished and a new one will be constructed in its place

It’s an overwhelming feeling for Don Markham as he shuffles through what’s left from the kayak shop he manages.

“Brand new pairs of fins and everything, buried underneath the rubble here,” he said after seeing everything that has been destroyed.

It’s a sight he never expected, especially after Hurricane Idalia repairs were just made to the building.

Markham says he was brought to tears upon arriving to the shop on Thursday.

“This became my home four or five years ago and you know I’ve really given everything to this shop and it’s just heartbreaking to see this now,” he said.

A place he once called a home will no longer be standing in a few days as the building is demolished.

Aside from the roof coming off, most of their kayaks are a total loss.

Crews have come out to help clear the area and sift through what is still salvageable.

Through it all Markham says he’s grateful to have the support from the community.

“I got people coming out of the woodwork literally asking to help," he said.

In his eight years of living in Citrus County, Markham says he’s never seen damage like this. Despite the long days of clean up ahead he’s thankful for the alerts that helped his community stay safe.

He even offers a piece of advice in times like these. ”As citizens we really need to follow those instructions and do what the community is telling is to do,” he said.

Although the tornado may have destroyed their building, Markman says it hasn’t destroyed their positive spirit of constructing a bigger and better shop.

The kayak shop plans to hold a yard sale to help with some of the reconstruction of the building and hope to host a kayak class next month despite the damages to their building.