Taylor County continues its recovery a month after Hurricane Helene created “a war zone” for residents

KEATON BEACH, Fla. (WCTV) – This past weekend marked one month since Hurricane Helene made landfall in Taylor County.

While the Big Bend coastal community has made a lot of progress in the cleanup, they still have a long way to go. Many Keaton Beach residents said there is still so much cleanup to be done before many people can even think about rebuilding their homes.

Taylor County Property Appraiser, Shawna Beach, said her family members’ homes were destroyed during Helene’s death and her own home was damaged and is currently unlivable. She plans to move inland to Perry.

“You don’t want to take your eight-year-old into a war zone, and that’s really what it is. Our home at the moment. It’s just a roof and walls, but you know, all her family’s stuff is gone,” Beach said.

Others, like business owner Stephanie Weldon, said they plan to stay in Keaton Beach but aren’t sure how to begin rebuilding.

Weldon owned Keaton Beach Trading Post, a convenience store that was destroyed, as well as Keaton Beach Vacation Rentals. Several of these properties were destroyed or damaged by the storm.

“I still feel like we don’t know what’s going to happen and what to do,” Weldon said. “We take it all day by day.”

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