More than a year after Hurricane Helene changed everything for Beatrice and her family, they are finally back home.

For four generations, Beatrice’s family has called the same Palmetto house home. Her children took their first steps there, followed years later by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The house holds decades of memories, making it much more than simply a place to live.

But when Hurricane Helene brought knee-deep floodwater into the home, the family suddenly faced extensive damage, the loss of their vehicle and an uncertain path forward.

Recovering After Hurricane Helene

In the months following the storm, Beatrice and her family lived in an RV in their driveway while working toward recovery.

For more than a year, their everyday routines looked completely different. Like many families impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, returning to a safe and stable home required time, resources and support.

That’s where Rebuilding Together Greater Florida stepped in.

Through Hurricane Helene home repairs, our team worked to restore the home and help Beatrice’s family move forward.

Repairs That Made Home Possible Again

Rebuilding Together Greater Florida completed several critical repairs to help make the house safe and secure again, including:

• Installing a new roof
• Completing interior drywall repairs
• Replacing soffit and fascia

Each repair brought the family one step closer to returning to the place that had been part of their lives for generations.

“This home means everything to us. My kids took their first steps here, along with my grandkids and my great grandkids. Because of that, I’m so thankful for Rebuilding Together.”

For Beatrice, the experience was about more than the repairs themselves. It was also about the people who helped her family through the process.

She shared that Rebuilding Together Greater Florida team members DJ and Rebecca became like family as they worked to put the home back together.

“It was amazing to see how they worked and put everything back together. I almost cried when they left.”

Helping Florida Families Rebuild After Hurricanes

Beatrice’s story is one example of what long-term disaster recovery can look like. Even after the immediate aftermath of a hurricane has passed, homeowners may continue dealing with damaged roofs, unsafe living conditions and other critical repair needs for months or even years.

Rebuilding Together Greater Florida works alongside homeowners and community partners to provide critical home repairs that help families remain safely in the places they call home.

For Beatrice and her family, those repairs meant finally leaving the RV in their driveway and returning to a house filled with four generations of memories.

If your home is still recovering from Hurricanes Helene or Milton, learn more about Rebuilding Together Greater Florida’s home repair programs and see if you qualify.