LAKE CITY, Fla. — Getting to the office at Casey Jones RV Park was tricky in the aftermath of Hurricane Debby.
Several spaces were underwater, with the flooding threatening to push into some of the homes closest to it.
Some residents can’t shake the sense of déjà vu, with a third major storm heading this way in less than a year.
“I don’t remember us having this many hurricanes coming through," said Teresa Peters. "This many times in a short period of time.”
Peters has lived her whole life in Lake City, and always figured she was far enough inland to avoid the brunt of most major storms.
But after Hurricanes Idalia and Debby went through the Big Bend and came her way, now she has to wait to see what Helene has in store.
“I get worried when we have storms like this," said Peters. "Living in an RV, it is much more stable than a house or something like that.”
Peters says Hurricane Debby was more about rain than anything else, and she’d never seen Casey Jones RV Park as flooded as it was in the five years she’s lived here.
She spent a few hours without power, something Columbia County Emergency Management Director Shayne Morgan is preparing for again.
“With the winds being forecast, power outages will be a thing for us again like they were after Debby," said Morgan.
Morgan says public works crews are pumping down retention ponds to handle the rain and sandbag stations will be up and running soon.
He has some advice for Peters and her neighbors in Casey Jones RV Park.
“You know what you’ve experienced in the past," said Morgan. "Make your plans. Make sure you have the supplies you need, not only for your family but for your pets.”
Peters says she’s left the park for previous storms, but she’s planning to hunker down with her dog for this one.
“I’ll be probably sitting up all night when it comes through," said Peters.
Management says the spots in the most flood-prone areas are for late arrivals, but they’ll likely close them down completely as we get closer to the storm to try to prevent any flooded RVs.