CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — An evacuation order has taken effect in Clay County as of noon on Wednesday for Zones A, B, C and the north and south prongs of the Black Creek.
A stressed crowd lined the Middleburg sandbag site before 8 a.m., one of 5 sites in the county.
Elliott Donaroma is doing it by himself hoping these bags will be enough to keep water out of his mom’s home.
“I’m just trying to get what I can," he said. "Cover up some stuff so it won’t come in where it came in last time. And hope for the best. Good luck to everybody.”
His 88-year-old mother lives by Black Creek which is known for flooding, especially during Irma.
Scars from that last storm show across Clay County.
When asked how long it took for their community to recover, Donaroma said, “Oh gosh. Honestly, the truth, we haven’t yet."
Wind and rain picked up in Clay County around 9 in the morning. Boats were rocking at Knight's Boat Ramp on Black Creek.
In Irma, the bait shop employee says water was waist deep inside the store. There is a mark on the wall in marker showing where the went rose up to .
It's something they hope to never see again.
Sandbag locations across Clay County are open until 6 p.m. on Wednesday on a first come first serve basis. There is a 10 bag per household limit, though several people say that simply won’t be enough to protect their home.