HOMOSASSA, Fla. — Recovery continues up and down the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Helene swept thru last week.

What You Need To Know

  • Recovery is continuing in parts of Citrus County after Hurricane Helene swept thru the Gulf last week

  • MacRae's of Homosassa, a historical staple, has seen its fair share of storms in its 100 years of existence, but nothing could prepare it for Helene
  • Areas across the property — from its tackle and bait shop, to its motel rooms — saw significant flooding

That includes some of the more historical sites in the area. MacRae’s of Homosassa has been a staple in Citrus County for 100 years and has seen its fair share of storms in the past. But nothing that could prepare it for Helene.

Situated along the Homosassa River, MacRae’s of Homosassa has looked a bit different since Hurricane Helene hit.

“We have been really lucky, in my opinion, to still have the buildings that we have, because the water came in so high and so fast," said Executive Manager Rebecca MacRae. "We’ve really never seen anything like that here.”

MacRae said plenty of work is being done on the property — especially tractors pulling debris from the property’s motel, which saw the most significant damage.

“We do have to replace the skirting on the building that got taken off," MacRae said. "The A/Cs that are under here — they got destroyed through these rooms on the side, but we’ve already repaired those, which is great. Gotta stay cool in this Florida heat.”

But for a business — and family — that have called this area home for the last 100 years, a storm like Helene is nothing new.

“We have so much experience here with flooding because we are kind of on a low piece of property on the Homosassa River," MacRae said. "There is some measures we can take here that help. Not always enough, but something you just have to take.”

The recovery has been quick, MacRae said, but there is still quite a ways to go. She said the the work has been made easier by help from some friends.

“You can see the piles of things destroyed in people’s homes growing every day, which is really sad," MacRae said. "But we come together to try to come back stronger and better. There’s a lot of love that goes around at times like these, because that’s really all you can give.”