FLEMING ISLAND, Fla. — Tens of thousands of people in Clay County woke up to no power Friday after strong winds from Hurricane Helene ripped through the First Coast. Many trees toppled over electrical wires across the county.
The power is being restored but some families lived through scary situations when the storm rolled through. One family in Fleming Island had a tree crash through their roof and into their daughter's bedroom.
"All of a sudden I hear this loud crash and bang and I looked up immediately and got out of my bed and my parents start rushing into my room," said Trisstin Quiett.
Similar situations played out for many people across the county. Currently, downed power lines and fallen trees over roads are still a concern. In a post on Facebook, the county said they will prioritize their repairs.
"We have the high-life hazard main roads we want to look at to try and get open," said Tim Devin, the Clay County Director of Emergency Management. "My caution is please stay off the roads until we get those assessments done unless you absolutely have to or have an emergency."
No one was injured when the tree came crashing into Quiett's bedroom; an event that is now a memory of the storm that she'll carry with her.
"Whenever that happened I was really shaken up about it," said Quiett, "because I was like, 'that could have been it.' That was really scary for me and my parents as well."
There are many power lines down in Clay County and Emergency Management says do not touch those power lines if you come across live wires. If you come across any wires treat them as if they are live and any downed wires can be reported to alert.claycountygov.com