Millions bracing for dangerous impacts from Hurricane Helene

AccuWeather

AccuWeather's Ali Reid was at a sandbagging station in Tallahassee, Florida, where people are stocking up on sandbags in preparation for Helene. Up to 40 million people could be impacted by the storm.

Transcript

00:00We find Ali now in Tallahassee. It's been quite a journey here

00:04for you and now you bring us the latest of folks preparing right behind you.

00:11Right Ari and I think the overall feeling of the morning is many people are nervous heading into

00:16this storm hearing lots of conversations about Hurricane Michael back in 2018 and the impacts

00:21that brought to family and friends not too far away from here. Also mentioning the tornado that

00:27hit right in this area back in May of this year. We're at one of those sandbagging locations this

00:32morning. This particular location and many locations around the city of Tallahassee

00:37opened up at eight o'clock this morning and it has been a steady flow of people in this community

00:42throughout the area. I want to take to some video for you now if possible. This was shot by our

00:46photographer Andy who was moving about the area really giving you a closer perspective of what

00:51this area was looking like over the last couple of hours. I mean when we tell you that this has

00:55been non-stop it has been non-stop. Family members, friends really looking out for a number of people

01:01in the community here not only caring for their own homes but then other homes and other facilities

01:08in this area. Many businesses too also stopping by catering to a number of the properties in this

01:13area. Now on top of that they also are just mentioning what this area has looked like in

01:18the past when they've dealt with a number of storms. I mentioned that tornado back in May.

01:22A lot of the people here worried about single family homes, mobile homes, what the destruction

01:27that Hurricane Helene could potentially bring to this area here. Many people very very nervous

01:34to say the least in this particular area. We spoke to a man earlier who actually works with

01:40a number of people in this area to actually help provide shelter for a number of men dealing with

01:45rehabilitation. He says that the particular area is a low-lying facility and he's very nervous that

01:52there could potentially be bring some serious impacts to that area. Take a listen.

01:58It'll be devastating. I mean we had a tornado come through here May 10th I believe it was

02:03and it was about 100 mile an hour winds and everywhere that it went it just demolished. One

02:09of the big things in Tallahassee is all our old live oak trees and stuff like that and that's kind

02:13of part of the beauty of Tallahassee but at the same time that's what's going to cause you know

02:18the power to go out for even longer you know it's got everyone on edge. We've never I think

02:21this is going to be probably the worst storm we've ever seen here or at least in my lifetime.

02:29Again if we can let's bring you back live to show you guys what's happening in real time

02:34and if you can move with me for a second you'll notice that cars trucks have been pulling up

02:37people just really just bringing those sandbags putting them into their trucks to bring back to

02:42their homes their businesses. How you hanging in this morning? All right. You okay? Yes ma'am.

02:46You're sweating. Those sandbags are heavy. They're heavy. They're heavy. Where are these

02:51sandbags going to your home? Yeah they're going to my home and to my cousin's house. Yeah. Yeah

02:55we're getting prepared for the storm. How are you guys feeling? Are you nervous? Are you feeling like

02:59you're preparing enough in advance where you think you'll be okay? Where's your head at?

03:03Um I think we're pretty prepared. We've been prepared storm ready for like what three years

03:07now so we just had to go by some odds and ends and I just hope everybody you know make it through

03:13and be safe and you know come get the sandbags if y'all need them. Yeah absolutely and many places

03:19across the city of Tallahassee are doing this this morning. Seeing a number of members of

03:23your community also here this morning having conversations with them what's that been like?

03:28Well everybody seems like they're um they're pretty prepared for it and they're getting

03:33everything together us a couple people that's where we got a lot of family members from out

03:36of town reaching out to us to make sure we're going to be okay letting us know if we need to

03:41leave we need to leave and if I suggest if anybody stay in a mobile home or something like that they

03:46need to leave they go ahead and evacuate. What's your name? Brandon Johnson. Brandon so nice to

03:51meet you stay safe. Yes ma'am y'all stay safe also. All right guys so I want to point out a few other

03:55things to you he mentioned the mobile homes which I think is important to mention the other thing

03:59let's show the trees that's an important factor actually all morning long we've been speaking to

04:04people who have been talking about they're worried about the oak trees in this area number one they

04:08are incredibly old number two they are incredibly tall and so that is a big concern with the heavy

04:14rain and wind that could be moving throughout this area but again we're going to continue to

04:18check in with you guys throughout the afternoon talking to people getting their perspectives on

04:22what it's like here really giving you that insider's look again sandbagging not only here

04:27but just right down the street here in the parking lot another sandbagging location so many people

04:33taking this seriously this is no joke to people that are very familiar with what

04:38hurricanes and particular helene could bring to this area

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