CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — It’s been three months since Citrus County experienced a big hit from a tornado that touched down in the area.

Buildings throughout Crystal River still need repairs. City manager Dough Baber said they’re even asking for a one-time funding from the state legislature this year to help rebuild city buildings. They’re asking for $10 million, with a portion of that going toward City Hall.

One of the businesses affected by the tornado was Crystal River Kayak Company and Dive Center. Since then, things are looking a little different for the business.

Donald Markham is always there to help, whether he’s out on the dock or educating first-time kayakers. He’s the manager, but he doesn’t see it that way. The place is more of a home for him, in part because of community support since the October tornado.

"We had to have docks replaced. One of our ramps was damaged, the hand rail had snapped off. We had to replace probably about 50 kayaks," he said. 

Photos and memories represent strength and a documentation of what they’ve been through.

“We’re lucky to get through it,” he said. "It’s a good thing that it came through in the middle of night, there were no injuries, nobody got hurt.”

After a month of cleanup, the business held a soft opening and is now operating out of a storage building.

Their old building was demolished. Since then, they’ve gotten a lot of new and old customers helping to put back the pieces to get back to normal business hours.

“To see this now just as a bare space, it is actually kind of exciting for us because now we’ve got a fresh start,” Markham said, as he sees the empty space of what once the business was.

He said it’s a new beginning for them to continue bringing people to the water and sharing a bit of Crystal River.

The business says they’ll be placing a new building in the old one’s place, but they are waiting for approval from the city.

They’re hopeful to have a new building within a year.