Tampa Bay races to prepare for Helene [Video]

HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. — It’s a scramble for Aaron Ellis to shield his home from potential flooding as the anticipated Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in less than 48 hours.

“I work too busy to be nervous at this point,” Ellis said.

Ellis’ Weeki Wachee home flooded from Hurricane Idalia last year.

His neighborhood on the Palm Grove Colony was underwater, forcing several neighbors to throw out damaged furniture, mattresses and all sorts of décor.

Neighbors are just focusing on what they can control by making last-minute preparations, which involve lifting as much as they can inside their homes above ground and barricading parts of the exterior.

Several counties in the Tampa Bay area now have mandatory evacuation orders including Citrus and Hernando counties.

At least six to ten feet of storm surge is anticipated in Hernando County.

The county’s emergency management director is urging people, especially in low-lying areas or …