EDGEWATER, Fla. — While Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend, effects from the storm were felt throughout Central Florida.
On Friday, city of Edgewater crews responded to downed power lines, fallen trees and power outages. City officials said Edgewater Landing and the Seahorse Mobile Home Park were the areas that saw the most damage from the storm’s winds.
On Friday morning, Edgewater resident Suellen Duga, 79, says she woke up to the sound of glass shattering.
“It was like four this morning and I heard a loud crash,” Duga said.
She realized her bedroom window was broken, but thought that was the extent of the damage until she went into her kitchen.
“Then I came out here like, ‘Oh my, I have a tree in my kitchen sink,’ and the floor was just covered in dirt,” she said. “It just — it made me sick.”
After reporting that a large tree fell through her roof and into her home, Duga said the Edgewater Fire Department responded right away.
“I knew winds were coming,” she said. “I had no idea that the neighbor's tree would hop the fence and fall into my house.”
Duga said she thought rain and standing water from earlier in the week may have contributed to the tree falling, along with the wind. It’s not the first time she’s experienced storm damage — in 2022, Duga had moved into her home just one month before Hurricane Ian.
“My car was parked out there,” she said. “It was a red Mercedes Benz. The love of my life, and it got trashed.”
Duga said after Helene, she’s considering moving.
“My son and I were talking about it, and I don't think I can go through another season,” she said. “I would be too nervous in a manufactured home. I just can't do it.”
She said a silver lining is the help she’s received from others. The fire department got her in contact with the last tree company still in the area, before they deployed to Atlanta to help with storm damage. She said Habitat for Humanity is also adding tarps to her roof and replacing the sink.
“I'm really indebted so much to the Habitat people, and the tree people, and the fire people,” she said. “They were very kind and helped me feel better.”
Duga said she can’t say enough about everyone who came to help her, including her neighbors.
“You think you're alone, but in these times, you find out you're not,” she said. “And I'm so grateful for them.”
Duga said she encourages other people with storm damage to reach out to their local cities, counties and agencies like FEMA for help. City of Edgewater officials said residents can reach out for help and report damage by submitting a request on the city's website.
Reagan Ryan is a 2023 — 2025 Report for America Corps Member, covering the environment and climate across Central Florida for Spectrum News 13. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.