HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. — Just a month ago, Brooke Hiers and her family left the emergency trailer issued by the state, where they had resided since Hurricane Idalia struck the Gulf Coast fishing village of Horseshoe Beach in August 2023.
Hiers and her husband, Clint, were still working to finish the electrical wiring in their home, which they had painstakingly rebuilt, exhausting Clint’s savings in the process. Unfortunately, the couple faced another setback.
Hurricane Helene hit and displaced their newly renovated home from its four-foot-high pilings, causing it to float into their neighbor’s yard.
“You always think, ‘Oh, there’s no way it can happen again’,” Hiers remarked. “I don’t know if anyone has ever experienced this in the history of hurricanes.”
This marks the third hurricane to directly impact Florida’s Big Bend in just over a year, delivering a devastating blow to this vulnerable stretch of coastline. Following Idalia, residents contended with Category 1 Hurricane Debby in August 2024 and now face the aftermath of Helene.
As a member of the Horseshoe Beach town council, Hiers described the situation as unimaginable, stating that words like “unbelievable” are losing their meaning. “I’ve tried to use them all: Catastrophic. Devastating. Heartbreaking. None of that explains what happened here,” she stated.
The repeated battering of Florida’s Big Bend has compelled residents to confront the harsh realities of living in an area increasingly targeted by stronger storms, a phenomenon tied to climate change.
Many families, like the Hiers, find themselves unable to afford homeowner’s insurance for their flood-prone homes, with limited options available. Residents face tough decisions: abandon the communities where their families have deep roots, invest tens of thousands of dollars to elevate their homes in compliance with building codes, or resort to living in recreational vehicles that can be moved away from danger.
For many, these options are financially unfeasible. The recent storm left numerous residents seeking shelter with family or friends, sleeping in cars, or trying to make do with what remains of their damaged homes.
Taking action, Janalea England transformed her commercial fish market in nearby Steinhatchee into a donation distribution center for her friends and neighbors, similar to her efforts after Hurricane Idalia. Tables overflowed with water, canned goods, diapers, soap, clothes, and shoes, as residents sought assistance.
“I’ve never seen so many people homeless as what I have right now. Not in my community,” said England. “They have nowhere to go.”
The sparsely populated Big Bend area is known for its natural beauty, from towering pine forests to picturesque salt marshes. It remains largely undeveloped, avoiding the congestion of condos and souvenir shops that characterize much of Florida’s coast.
This region once offered affordable housing for teachers, mill workers, and housekeepers within walking distance of the Gulf beaches. However, with three devastating hurricanes in quick succession, many can no longer call this place home.
Hurricane Helene’s destruction was so widespread that numerous residents were left with nothing, escaping the storm with merely the clothes on their backs, and even losing shoes to the rising waters.
“People didn’t even have a Christmas ornament to pick up or a plate from their kitchen,” Hiers lamented. “It was just gone.”
England, who has taken the initiative to assist her community, remains skeptical about government support. “FEMA didn’t do much,” she said. “They lost everything with Idalia and were told, ‘Here, you can have a loan.’ I mean, where’s our tax money going then?”
In a blow to homeowners, England’s sister, Lorraine Davis, received a letter stating her insurance company was dropping her, citing that her home “fails to meet underwriting.” Living on a fixed income, she faces uncertainty about how to repair the damage to her trailer following the last storm.
“We’ll all be on our own,” said England. “We’re used to it.”
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the exhaustion from repeated clean-ups weighs heavily on residents, especially with the looming threat of more storms brewing in the Gulf.
With marinas destroyed and employment opportunities lost, many in the community face dual crises of losing both their homes and jobs simultaneously.
Local mill workers have suffered layoffs in the past year, resulting in isolation for those dependent on these industries. A convoy of trucks carrying hurricane relief supplies is currently stationed at a closure mill in Perry, aiming to assist the local populace.
Hud Lilliott, a former mill worker who lost both his job and his home, hopes to rebuild in the community he has always known but is at a loss for funding. He also worries about the local school where his wife teaches, as the county navigates diminishing tax revenue.
“We’ve worked our whole lives and we’re so close to where they say the ‘golden years’,” Laurie Lilliott shared. “It’s like you can see the light and it all goes dark.”
Dave Beamer’s home, rebuilt after Hurricane Idalia, was swept away by Helene’s fury. “I don’t think I can do that again,” he expressed, highlighting the uncertainty of future living arrangements in the area.
In the aftermath of this hurricane, Hiers anticipates the arrival of a makeshift town hall to provide essential services as best as they can. Following the storm, she and her husband have temporarily relocated to their daughter’s home, which is a 45-minute drive away.
“You feel like this could be the end of things as you knew it. Of your town. Of your community,” Hiers stated. “We just don’t even know how to recover at this point.”
Hiers and her husband consider purchasing an RV to park where their home once stood, but they will not return to Horseshoe Beach permanently until the storm season has passed.
They simply cannot face this devastation once more.
