- Taylor County neighbors and officials are juggling both recovery from Helene and preparation for potential impacts from Milton.
- Officials say they are expecting an influx of Southern evacuation orders.
- Milton could also pause Helene recovery efforts for a day or two.
- Watch the video to see how officials and neighbors are pushing through it all.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene swept through the Big Bend, officials and neighbors are having to keep an eye on yet another system heading towards Florida. I’m Kenya Cardonne in the Perry neighborhood, with a look at how Milton is impacting both preparation and recovery for neighbors in Taylor County.
Taylor County’s Division of Emergency Management — still hard at work more than a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall.
Now, they’ve got another thing to add onto their plate— Milton.
Amber Durden, Emergency Management Coordinator for Taylor County - “Even though it’s not looking like it’s going to impact our direct County, I mean we still have to stay vigilant.”
Coordinator Amber Durden tells me their main concern is staying ahead of the influx of Southern evacuation orders.
Durden - “We're trying to locate extra fuel sites just to kind of mitigate our retailers running out of gas. We’re currently putting in missions to get extra law enforcement to help with traffic control.”
She says the storm could also put Helene recovery efforts on pause for a day or two, but it shouldn’t be detrimental to the progress they've made.
I visited the Point of Distribution set up at The Bird Rack to get neighbors’ thoughts on Milton.
Amy Dykes, Owner of The Bird Rack - “I don’t like him..”
Amy Dykes and her husband have turned their business into a safe haven of disaster relief for the third time now.
Dykes - “Very traumatic time and we wanted the community to have just a little bit of relief and break from their everyday..”
She says most neighbors are so occupied with Helene’s destruction that they don’t even have time to think about Milton.
Regardless, she says she’s confident her Taylor County community of survivors will make it through.
Dykes - “..and our friends from the South, wherever this is going to hit, we told them we’re here for you. We’ll load up our trailers and we’ll take them whatever they need. We’re neighbors!”
Back at the office, officials say the best thing neighbors here can do for now, is stock up on essentials and focus on staying informed.
Durden - “Just remain in place, stay calm. I understand, you know, we just went through a Category 4 and emotions may be high but, you know, we got to wait it out and see what it’s going to look like for us.”
Officials tell me volunteers play a critical role in this cycle of ongoing recovery and preparation. If you’d like to volunteer with the Emergency Management Office, please give this number a call: 850-838-3575
In Perry, Kenya Cardonne, ABC 27
