The state’s longest river has been the focus or multiple flood advisories for the last couple of weeks. With Helene moving toward Florida there is some concern on how the river levels will be impacted by more rain.
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Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia have seen their share of flooding over the past couple of weeks.
Our area will not experience a direct impact, however, Helene could bring 2 to 4 inches of rain and a 60% chance of tropical-storm-force winds, according to the National Weather Service. Tropical storm force winds are an average of one minute of sustained winds at 39 miles per hour or greater.
As with any storm, utility workers and first responders are being deployed to some of the most vulnerable areas and homeowners are trying to finish outdoor projects.
Josh Garrison stood in the beaming sun on Tuesday, drilling one board at a time to assemble a 380-foot deck.
“I had more time until this hurricane so now I’m trying to speed this thing along and get it all screwed in before it blows away,” he said.
Garrison has been working on the project for about a month and thought he had more time until he learned that Helena developed near the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Water is expected to rise, but Garrison is more concerned about the wind.
“You just never know. I would just hate for anything I put in here to not be secure enough and then get torn up and mangled while I’m trying to build so I am just trying to speed it along,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Coastal Flood Advisory remains in effect through Wednesday for inland St. Johns County, Flagler, Coastal Duval, Eastern Clay, Eastern Putnam, Trout River and south Central Duval.
River level gauges are currently in “good” status but more rain could shift to “action” or “minor” level.
With Helene heading towards Florida, the flood advisory will likely continue through the rest of the week.
Everyone is encouraged to prepare now for the storm that will begin with outer bands on Wednesday and move through Florida and Georgia all day on Thursday.