The past week and a half will be a time Norma and Julia Rea won't forget.
Last week, the mother and daughter were in Asheville, North Carolina, when Helene hit. This week, they're riding out Milton from an evacuation zone in St. Johns County.
“I don’t think we have a choice at this point,” said Norma Rea at a Vilano Beach sandbag filling station.
Norma Rea said she feels like it’s too late to leave Vilano Beach. She said she couldn’t find a hotel that wasn’t hours away.
“I don’t wanna be out stuck on a freeway in the middle of a storm," she said. "I mean, I don’t know. I don’t know where to go.”
Norma Rea knows what it's like to be stuck in a storm. She and her daughter were stuck during Helene.
"We were trapped for three days," Norma Rae said. "It took three days to cut the trees down to get us out. So as soon as they cut the trees down, they told us that the road was failing and we needed to get out. So we got out and here we are a week later doing it again."
The Reas said they're feeling anxious. They aren't the only ones.
“I’ve been here four years and every hurricane’s a little scary, but this one seems especially scary," said Rachel Peretz, who also lives in Vilano Beach. "Especially when my neighbor who’s lived here his whole life says that he’s scared.”
Peretz said she plans to stay in Vilano Beach too.
“One of my friends who’s lived in St. Pete for probably better than 10 years has never evacuated and said she was going to Savannah," Peretz said. "[She] thought it was going to take about six hours and it ended up taking 12. But they made it safely.”
Ken Wood and his family showed up to a sandbag filling site with a truck from his furniture store to bring sandbags to friends and neighbors. He said he's stressed but is staying positive.
“Stressed out," Wood said. "Really stressed out, but at the same time we’re hashtag St. Augustine strong.”
Peretz is also trying to keep her spirits up.
“I’m keeping good thoughts for my friends and loved ones that are in the Tampa/St. Pete area," said Peretz. "Yeah, keep a good thought for everybody.”
Julia Rea hopes this second hurricane in two weeks is less impactful than the last.
“Hopefully everyone’s gonna be okay so fingers crossed," she said.