OZELLO, Fla. — An area business is celebrating its grand reopening after having to make repairs from damage sustained during Hurricane Helene.

It required months of work to get back on their feet, but Ozello Keys Marina is back open for business, with recovery in the area ongoing.

The Ozello Keys Marina sits on the outskirts of Ozello Key. Just a few months ago, the building looked entirely different.

“When it happens again, we’re not tearing this store apart next time," said owner Capt. Gary Bartell.

The marina — and surrounding area — was hit hard by Hurricane Helene last September.

“We had just rebuilt from Hurricane Idalia, so we knew that insurance was going to take some time," said Bartell. "It was spread out through the southeast of the United States, so it was a lot different than Idalia where it was just a certain area impacted. This was spread out.”

During Helene, water from a nearby canal rose up about 11.5 feet. It washed through the parking lot and into the store, where about five feet of water rested.

“It was really the last three weeks until we opened on Feb. 1, where you couldn’t move through here because we had all of our sub-contractors here," Bartell said. "They were amazing. I mean, they went to town and they got this place done, and they got it done right.”

A special, grand reopening was celebrated Saturday. It marked not only the return of the business, but recovery in Ozello.

“It was a special moment, it really was," Bartell said. "To see all of our regulars that were always coming in here all at one time, plus we saw hundreds of new faces that had been following our story along the way.”

It's a recovery that Bartell said he is optimistic will spread throughout the keys.

“It’s how you recover from this stuff and getting ready for the next storm, whether it’s going up in the air or making it more water-resistant inside," he said. "We’ll make a full recovery."