Suwannee Waterfront Market destroyed in Helene

SUWANNEE, Fla. (WCJB) -Residents in NCFL are cleaning up damage this weekend after Hurricane Helene hit on Thursday. One of the areas most affected was the town of Suwannee.

Hurricane Helene destroyed the only grocery store here in Suwannee, The Suwannee Waterfront Market. Now people have to go 24 miles to get to a grocery store.

RELATED: Live Blog: Hurricane Helene recovery efforts underway across North Central Florida

Paige Everett and her husband, Jerry, have been the owners of the grocery store for 10 years. She said is tired of dealing with the back-to-back recovery efforts after Hurricane Idalia and Debby also damaged the store.

Now she says it is heartbreaking to see the damage that Helene has brought.

RELATED: Suwannee's Waterfront Market prepares for Hurricane Helene a year after Idalia gutted it

"We built it back after Idalia. We came in here we worked I don't even know how many days or how many hours. We got it back running and a lot of people came in and helped. Now I don't know where it sits," added Paige Everett.

The Suwannee Waterfront Market has been a staple in the community since 1970. As of now, they are planning to clean up the store but are still unsure what the future holds.

Paige tells me she is glad to see the community of Suwannee come together during this tough time.

RELATED: Resources available for those impacted by Hurricane Helene

"If you have never been to Suwannee you don't understand Suwannee. It's like old Florida. I mean I knew everybody who was down there with Governor DeSantis is and we are all talking and everybody is smiling even though the most we are going through," said Everett.

Paige said they are hopeful that the waterfront market can be fixed and brought back to life but it just depends on how much it will cost.