TAYLOR COUNTY, Fla. – On Thursday, boards covered windows and homes in Taylor County.
As Hurricane Helene approached the Florida Panhandle county on Wednesday, some people were still not sure if they would evacuate Keaton Beach but as of Thursday it was almost a ghost town.
A deputy who was blocking the main road to the beach access to Keaton Beach said, “Everyone is gone.”
In Perry, some families like the Hathcocks are leaving town for at least one day.
“We put chainsaws, gas, and oil in so we can get back in,” said Susan Hathcock. “Last year when we left to our mom’s house we could not get out so we had to cut our way through so we could check in on them.”
We asked them if they were worried about their home.
“It is in God’s hands,” she said.
Taylor County Emergency Management was asking that all residents, guests and evacuees not come back to the county until officially given the okay by the Emergency Operations Center. This is to protect people from flooding and other hazards.
Storm surge was expected to be 10-15 feet in some areas.
People living in Taylor County can expect updates on social media and various other media outlets.
Some businesses like the Marathon Gas Station in Perry stayed open until about 1 p.m. Thursday allowing people who did not evacuate to stock up on last-minute items.
Hetl Patel is one of the business owners.
“Scary,” said Patel.
Patel and her family boarded up all the windows and were just hoping for the best as Hurricane Helene headed toward Perry.
“We got Idalia last year, I was thinking it was not going to big but everyone is saying it is bigger than Idalia,” she said. “Be safe.”
According to Taylor County Emergency Management officials, last-minute