Residents prep for potential flooding

By Casmira Harrison

and Trisha Murphy

Palatka Daily News

charrison@palatkadailynews.com

tmurphy@palatkadailynews.com

HUNTINGTON — Gary and Paula Farmer have been through some serious weather emergencies.

Years ago, when they lived in Alabama, the Farmers say they managed to avert disaster when a massive tornado tore through their Birmingham area during a “super outbreak” in 2011.

“We were so blessed,” said Gary Farmer as he shoveled another scoop of sand into the sandbag his wife Paula held steady for him at a county sandbag site off County Road 308 near Crescent City. “The tornado we lived through was a mile wide.”

Noting that one cannot do much to prep for a tornado, Paula Farmer said, “I’d much rather go through a hurricane.”

Now, the Farmers said, they’re hoping all the preparation for potential flooding from Hurricane Ian is much ado about nothing — but they’re preparing, nonetheless.

The couple was among the many visitors to one of several Putnam County sandbag sites where the county public works department hauled in loads of sand and provided bags so residents could reinforce their homes against potential flood damage.

The National Weather Service forecast for Ian, as of Monday, projected the storm intensify to a Category 4 later this week and is expected to make landfall somewhere north of Tampa along the western Florida coast.

“Prayers,” said Gary Farmer. “That’s what’s needed now.”

At another sandbag site to the north, more than 100 area residents had showed up to the East Palatka Community Park within the first 90 minutes of its opening Monday.

Locals descended on the site with shovels in hand, some for themselves and their families, while others came to help neighbors prepare for the threatening storm.

Jack and Cindy White of Dunns Creek were among them.

“Our property has about 100 feet of frontage on Dunns Creek and our back door is only about 20 feet from the creek,” Cindy White said. “We need quite a few sand bags to try and protect it.”

The Whites, who moved to Dunns Creek in March, were on their second trip back to the site. Their concern is that the creek is already at a risky level compared to where their home sits.

“Right now, Dunns Creek is only about six inches from coming onto our deck and there’s no storm,” Cindy White said. “We are getting as many sand bags as we can to keep the water from coming into the house.”

Cindy White said their home is the first property she and her husband have owned that was so close to the water.

“This property flooded during Hurricane Irma,” she said. “We are just concerned. We want to do our due diligence to keep the water out and do as much as we can on our part to keep the water out.”

Mary Batts of Palatka was there with her grandson, Tivon Adams, 17.

“We got 10 bags,” she said. “This is my second time getting bags because my house is low to the ground. I got it just to be safe and make sure the water will not come in.”

Chris Hollister, a retired firefighter from upstate New York who now lives in Palatka, was helping out two of his elderly neighbors.

Hollister’s wife Colleen said her husband’s efforts are just what the family does.

“We are always helping each other out,” she said. “It’s just what you do when you are neighbors.”

Sandbag Sites

If residents are in need of sandbags, the following sites are expected to be available throughout Tuesday:

• Welaka Sewer Plant: Shell Street and 11th Avenue 
• 100 N. 11th Street, Palatka 
• Huntington Landfill: 1551 County Rd 308, Crescent City 
• East Palatka Community Park: 223 Putnam County Blvd., East Palatka 
• Chesser Sand Pit: 145 West Washington St., Hawthorne

People are encouraged to bring their own shovels.