Hurricane Idalia -- the most powerful hurricane to hit Florida's Big Bend region since 1896 -- produced storm surge flooding all along the West Coast of Florida. As of the one-month mark, more than 2,100 homes were confirmed to be destroyed or received major damage. 

Red Crossers have been hard work with the most severely affected residents, bring a source of hope, comfort and care, while helping them overcome significant recovery roadblocks and begin to rebuild their lives. Here are some of their stories.

Suzi Pierce of Crystal River

A five-year resident of Citrus County sought refuge at the Red Cross shelter in Homosassa. The category 4 hurricane caused significant flood damage to her apartment near the Kings Bay community, leaving her without a safe space to call home. Pierce recalls first responders taking her out in trucks through four feet of water -- both in and outside her home. With just the clothes on her back, she traveled with them to the shelter seeing alligators in the swamp-like water along the way. “I lost everything, even like contacts, glasses, things you take for granted,” she said.

Despite it all, she gratefully states, “Red Cross has been phenomenal. They treat me like family that I don’t have around me, they’ve been a lifesaver.” Shelter manager Patti Taylor, a long-time Red Cross volunteer, travelled from Geneva, Alabama to help people like Pierce. “When she came in, she was so distraught,” said Taylor.  “She needed a shoulder to cry on and I was there for that.”

“She is tremendously compassionate,” exclaimed Pierce. “It’s almost as if she’s gone through it as well.” And Pierce’s instincts are correct.  Taylor points to her time seeing many disasters as a Red Cross volunteer and her innate ability to comfort others as a reason she empathizes with disaster survivors.

Veronica McCrea of Rubonia  

“Thank you so much, thank you so much,” McCrea repeated as Red Cross caseworkers visited her home to process her case and provide financial assistance.

McCrea stays with her mother, the owner of the home, who is elderly and requires a lot of care. Veronica also owns a house across the street, but thankfully did not incur as much damage as her mother’s home.

She is power of attorney for her mother, who cannot communicate, so she is working to overcome significant recovery roadblocks for both of them. 

Burch and Shaughnessey Hart of Crystal River

It was an immediate connection between Crystal River residents Burch and Shaughnessy Hart and the Red Cross volunteers Gail Cunningham from Tennessee and Beth Trout from Minnesota visiting their home to provide assistance. 

The Harts have lived in Citrus County for a little over a decade and received the same love from the Red Cross after Hurricane Hermine damaged their home in 2016. 

This time around, they lost much of their furniture and belongings due to flooding caused by Hurricane Idalia.  “It’s just a big load off just to get a little help,” said Hart. 

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