‘Take this storm seriously:’ Hurricane watch in place for Columbia County as Helene approaches

Columbia County was hit hard by Hurricane Debby in August. Some residents are still getting over the damage, and now, they may have to go through another storm.

Helene is on its way and a Hurricane Watch is in place for Columbia County.

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Robert Smith has lived in Lake City for more than 30 years, and said Debby was the worst storm he experienced. With the relentless rain, fallen trees, and downed power lines, Smith said he’s nervous about what this storm could bring.

“We was out of power for 11 hours – miserable,” Smith said. “All the other storms that came through, we never lost power more than an hour.

Our Action News Jax First Alert Weather team said the core of the storm could bring hurricane conditions inland toward Columbia County.

ELATED: Helene: Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia school closure information

Columbia County Emergency Management Director Shayne Morgan said they are preparing like they would any storm – pumping out retention ponds and cutting down trees.

“Take this storm seriously, pay attention to what it does,” Morgan said. “A small movement on the map could mean big implications.”

Our Action News Jax First Alert Weather Team said the county received about 10-15 inches of rain during Debby and with Helene, it’s expected to receive about 3-5 inches.

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Morgan said all the power companies in Columbia County are ready -- Florida Power and Light, Clay Electric, Suwannee Valley Electric, and Duke Energy.

“You never know when the next one’s gonna hit so maintain state of preparedness,” Morgan said. “Make sure you know what your family plan – you’ve gone over it with your family. Make sure you know who you’re going to call in case of an emergency – have an emergency contact that you can talk to.”

Smith said he’s not taking any chances; he’s planning to board up and bounce.

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“And if it looks like it’s going towards us, (whistles) – we out of here,” Smith said. “I don’t want to ride it out. I don’t want to see what it’s going to be, so we gone.”

The public schools and the Florida Gateway College will be closed Thursday and Friday.

Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., county leaders will finalize their storm plans at an emergency meeting.

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