KEATON BEACH, Fla. — People up and down the coast of Florida’s Big Bend area are bracing for what’s forecast from Tropical Storm Helena. Tuesday was a day to prepare and for many, pack up and leave for higher ground.

At Keaton Beach in Taylor County, Jerry Wooten would rather not leave his RV with a view of the Gulf.

“We call this our home away from home, our paradise,” said Wooten. “I mean it truly is – you can see how quiet it is.”

But with some help, Wooten hitched up his RV home and is on his way back to his other home in Georgia. He has seen what mother nature can do here during past storms.

“Right here where we’re standing was under seven feet of water,” said Wooten

Hurricane Idalia made landfall at Keaton Beach in August 2023. Wooten knows no matter where Helene makes landfall, it’s coming to the general area – and likely bringing a lot of water with it.

The owners of the RV park where Wooten lives were clearing out debris still around from the last storm on Tuesday.

“The problem is the panhandle here, it hooks around so all that water comes up in here and gets trapped, so if it goes that way we’re on the strong side of the storm,” said Wooten. “And if it goes below us, we’re still going to get wind and water out of it.”

Wooten’s neighbors up and down the coast are filling up as much gas as they can. They worry it will either go up in price, or run out altogether in the coming days.

Wooten hopes Helene won’t tear his piece of paradise up too much. Either way, he says he’ll be back.

“We’re paid up through the end of the year so we’ve got to come back and use that up,” Wooten joked.