SARASOTA, Fla. (WPRI) — Rochelle Gallo owns local boutiques and told 12 News her Florida location has been hit hard by Hurricane Helene.

Rochelle's Boutique has locations in Newport, Westerly, Mystic, Connecticut, and Sarasota, Florida.

Her Florida store had its front window blown out and much of what was inside was destroyed.

"We have about a 500-pound counter that's screwed into the ground, that was in the back of the store," Gallo said. "We're just trying to save whatever merchandise that we can."

The store on Florida's Gulf Coast is her newest location, but she first opened her namesake boutique more than 20 years ago in Rhode Island because of her dad, who was also a retailer.

"We lost him to brain cancer 14 years ago and my dad and I used to talk about me having a store in Saint Armands and it was always kind of a dream that I had," she explained.

In the meantime, she is encouraging people to shop at the following stores in Southern New England, adding that the support will help her rebuild in Florida:

• Mystic: 42 West Main Street
• Watch Hill: 117 Bay Street
• Newport: 381 Thames Street

A Gofundme page has also been created to help Gallo recover from the damage.