Rescues and recovery

The winds had picked up during daylight, but after the sun went down, the waters pushed into the community.

Hurricane Helene passed more than 100 miles away, on a northward path that had it run into Florida's Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane. As of Friday evening, more than 40 people were dead in Florida and other states hit by the storm.

There were no deaths reported locally, but plenty of damage in its wake.

From Punta Gorda, through Charlotte Harbor, El Jobean, Englewood and up into Venice, Nokomis and Casey Key, the predicted 4-7 feet of storm surge crested off the Gulf of Mexico and swelled the Peace and Myakka rivers, their tributaries and canals in the region.

Those living in evacuation zones who hadn't left on their own accord Thursday night were forced from their homes early Friday.

More than 100 people were rescued from Punta Gorda and Englewood, officials stated — with dozens more helped in other areas of the counties.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

Charlotte County Emergency Management Director Patrick Fuller said there was a lot left to do following Hurricane Helene, which gave what was expected to be a glancing blow to Southwest Florida on its way to landfall in the Big Bend as another Category 4 storm.

"We're still working through the damage assessment," Fuller said.

He noted the excess storm surge in Punta Gorda, El Jobean, Charlotte Park and Harborview areas. Fuller said that he was glad to see people going out with boats to assist their neighbors isolated by flooding.

“The sense of community our residents have … has always shone through,” he said.

Fuller encouraged residents to self-report damage through the county's online app.

He said high tides are expected to bring elevated water levels in the short-term.

He warned against "disaster tourism" in the post-storm environment and encouraged residents to stay off the roads if they don't need to be traveling.

“There’s still hazardous conditions in our community."

On a bright note, public schools in Charlotte, Sarasota and DeSoto counties were not damaged, or had only minimal problems, and all were scheduled to reopen Monday.

'NOTHING LEFT'

Nathan Davis and his daughter, Carrine Davis, had waist-deep floodwater in their rural North Port house. They live off Myakka Drive in unincorporated Sarasota County.

“God is good and we’ll get through it,” Nathan Davis said.

The Davis family are not financially able to move.

Nearby, Anthony Ross said he had water in his house that covered his countertops.

He blames development.

“I don’t have nothing left,” Anthony Ross said.

He said he will abandon the house.

ENGLEWOOD HELP

EPIC Community Resource Center, 655 N. Indiana Ave., activated its disaster relief hub, providing a cool and dry facility for anyone that needs it.

At it, people may rest, charge their phones and get a snack.

“Please call 941-460-6022 if you need help with debris cleanup, which will be put at end of your property,” the news release said. “You must get on the list and meet certain requirements.”

FEDS IN FLORIDA

Federal officials were in Florida doing an assessment as well.

“My thoughts are with those who are impacted by Hurricane Helene," FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks stated.

Hooks encouraged those out of immediate storm danger to check on neighbors, particularly older folks and those with special needs.

"These actions can save lives."

About 4.4 million were without power in the Southwest. In the region, about 31,000 people were without power in Charlotte, Sarasota and DeSoto counties. About 4,800 in Charlotte County; 26,600 in Sarasota County and 100 in DeSoto County.

National Weather Service Director Ken Graham confirmed Helene made landfall around 11 p.m. Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane. Winds from the storm stretched out as far as 350 miles away from the eye.

He warned against being complacent with a major hurricane going past this late in the season.

“Even with this, we have to keep vigilant and ready to go.”

Throughout the Southwest, 9,400 people were displaced during the storm — more than 300 in Sarasota County. In Charlotte County, only 12 initially arrived at its evacuation centers, but according to county officials, that number spiked as people had to leave their flooding homes.

GOVERNOR SPEAKS

Gov. Ron DeSantis held several news conferences during the situation, including one in Tallahassee on Friday.

“We saw storm surges in many parts of the west coast of Florida that exceeded what we saw in Hurricane Idalia, which took a similar track, was similar in strength, maybe a little bit weaker,” DeSantis said. “It was really a historic storm surge in different parts of the state.”

Taylor County, Florida has had a rough couple of years.

Since August 2023, the rural community along Florida’s Big Bend has taken direct hits from three hurricanes — and seen the closure of its local paper mill, which for decades had been one of the economic lifelines for a county where one in six residents lives below the poverty line.

“The word that just keeps coming to my mind is just devastated,” said Aaron Portwood, publisher of Perry Newspapers, which is based in the county seat of Perry.

Portwood’s house in Dekle Beach on the county’s long undeveloped coastline was gutted by Hurricane Helene, though the structure still stands. Beyond his own home, Portwood said he’s worried about the future of this county that is steadily having its tax base wiped off the map.

“You get hit with one thing. And you think, ‘This is bad,'" he said. "And you recover from that. And then another one hits, and you’re like, ‘OK that stings.' But after about four or five, it starts to feel pretty overwhelming.”