Cedar Key Community Bands Together to Survive Hurricane Season
As the hurricane season nears its end, Cedar Key is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Idalia and Helene, hoping to survive the year unscathed.
Hurricane Idalia made landfall in 2023 as a Category 3, just 58 miles northwest of the island, marking the strongest hurricane to hit the Big Bend region in 125 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A year later, Hurricane Helene struck as a Category 4, undoing residents' progress toward rebuilding the city.
We love help, but we don’t count on it.
Cedar Key Mayor Jeff Webb, a 58-year-old third-generation resident, emphasized the city's self-reliance, noting that business owners reopened their doors to customers just three months after Helene struck the island.
This season, with no hurricanes making landfall in the U.S. yet, has been a welcome relief for residents, said Webb.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November.
Author's summary: Cedar Key community rebuilds after hurricanes.
- Hurricane Idalia: Category 3, 58 miles northwest of the island
- Hurricane Helene: Category 4, struck a year after Idalia
- Atlantic hurricane season: June 1 to November