Hurricane Helene wipes town ‘off the map’ as devastating impact revealed
The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene continues to mount in Florida as its revealed an entire town has been wiped out by the storm.
A small town called Steinhatchee on Florida's Gulf Coast has been left with barely a single building standing after it was hit with 140 mph winds and a 10-foot storm surge earlier this week.
The town, which is home to around 500 residents, was completely evacuated to make way for the hurricane, and now locals have returned to find the vast majority of homes and businesses destroyed.
Donna Landon, who lived in a mobile home just outside Steinhatchee, has been left 'heartbroken' after discovering her home had been completely decimated by the hurricane.
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"We’ve been wiped off the map. There’s nothing left. I have some insurance but now I have to rebuild," she told the New York Post.
"I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t been touched by this. But this is a community where everyone looks out for each other."
One of the local businesses suffering from the aftermath of the storm is Roy's Restaurant, which has been flattened to the ground just nine months after reopening, following Hurricane Idalia in 2023. Despite the devastation, owner Linda Wicker has vowed to rebuild the restaurant, which has been located on the riverbank of Steinhatchee for 54 years.
Speaking to the Palm Beach Post, Wicker confirmed that while the restaurant does have insurance, it's 'never enough' to truly cover the cost of the damage.
In a Facebook live, the restaurant's manager confirmed that all 30 of its employees were safe, adding: "The restaurant didn’t fare as well. But that’s all right. We’re thinking of our community and our employees, and everyone who is affected out there. We love them."
More than 3 million people across the United States have been left without power, with Steinhatchee being one of the towns affected by power loss.
With the power grid completely destroyed, linesmen have been sent in from four surrounding states to join the mission which is expected to take weeks as they 'completely start from scratch.'
The total death toll is reported to be at least 59 across South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, while hundreds of thousands of people are left displaced from their homes.
To donate to the American Red Cross, which helps provide food, supplies, shelter and emotional support to victims of crisis you can donate here.
Emma Rosemurgey