When I first heard there could be a massive storm brewing in the Gulf, I didn’t think much about it. After Idalia, I couldn’t imagine anything worse. Hurricanes rarely impacted inland areas with the ferocity Idalia brought; surely we’d never see anything like that again in my lifetime.
Then came Helene—a fast moving category four storm that made landfall in Taylor County. Keaton Beach was decimated. Entire homes on high pylons completely eradicated by the 20-foot storm surge and high winds. The storm kept moving through Taylor County and headed toward Madison, while also impacting Lafayette, Suwannee, Hamilton and Jefferson Counties before making its way into Georgia and beyond.