TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — "What was last night like for you?," WTXL neighborhood reporter Maya Sargent asked Perry homeowner Robert Bass the morning after Hurricane Helene roared ashore in northwest Florida.
"It was scary the whole time," Robert Bass responded. "A tree limb took the power lines out, the cable and the power that runs through here, took it out. So we'll probably be without power for a while."
Bass said he and his family were huddled in their house as Helene made landfall near Perry on Thursday evening as a Category Four storm.
"It would be nice for some relief from all these hurricanes," Bass said."It's the third one, and it's terrible."
Bass said while storm debris can be picked up, he knows reconstructing damaged power lines takes a lot longer.
"The only word I can think of is frustrating, because it's a long process. You know, we can't immediately get back to our normal lives," he said.
Taylor County Sheriff's Office Division of Emergency Management has search and rescue missions underway. They're asking neighbors to not go out to impacted areas.
The American Red Cross recommends taking these actions during an extended power outage:
- Monitor alerts— this includes weather reports and safety notifications from local governments.
- Contact your support network. Let your family, friends and neighbors know you're okay and see how they're doing.
- Unplug unneeded appliances and electronics to prevent an overload.
- Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning— only use a generator outside and away from windows, and never use outdoor stoves indoors.
