The impending arrival of another hurricane on Thursday feels like a never-ending nightmare for the communities in Florida’s Big Bend and eastern Panhandle.

Helene is projected to be the fifth hurricane to hit this approximately 200-mile stretch of mostly rural coastline between Panama City and Cedar Key in the last eight years. In contrast, only three hurricanes have impacted the rest of Florida’s extensive coastline of over 800 miles during that period.

This part of Florida, with tourist destinations like Destin to the west and Tampa to the south, forms a corner known as the Big Bend.

The residents are feeling worn out. They are anxious. They’ve been constantly monitoring the weather and many have evacuated at least once. Nevertheless, they must find the energy this week to prepare their homes and businesses, gather supplies, and make crucial decisions about whether to stay or leave once more.

“It’s as if everyone is suffering from mass PTSD. Picture thousands of people dealing with this simultaneously,” states Mike McKinney, who lives with his wife, Maggie, in a house north of Panama City, roughly 75 miles from Tallahassee. They sheltered in their bathroom during the fierce winds of Category 5 Hurricane Michael in 2018 and emerged to find devastation and uprooted trees surrounding their property.

After Hurricane Idalia tore through Taylor County – about 60 miles south of Tallahassee – in 2023, the McKinneys were driving through the area. Seeing the familiar storm destruction made Maggie’s heart race.

“We encountered large heaps of debris, and I thought ‘Oh my God,’ ” she said. “This brings me right back to Hurricane Michael. My blood pressure rises, and I feel that knot in my stomach.”

Janalea England, a resident of Steinhatchee in Taylor County, shares the sentiment. She finds it almost hard to believe that the county is potentially facing its third hurricane in just over a year.

Category 3 Idalia struck near Keaton Beach in August 2023, delivering a storm surge of up to 12 feet and winds exceeding 80 mph. The water surge inundated homes and businesses, causing notable damage as reported by the National Hurricane Center. Less than a year later, Taylor County faced another blow when Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee on August 5, producing a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet. Tragically, two local residents died due to falling trees and another two lost their lives in vehicle accidents. Both hurricanes brought severe flooding.

Now, just over seven weeks later, the region braces for yet another significant hurricane. Helene is expected to strike along the Big Bend on Thursday, bringing winds up to 125 mph, as much as 12 inches of rain, and a storm surge that might reach 15 feet, depending on the timing of the storm relative to high tide.

“One part of me says it’s not going to hit here,” remarked England, who helps run the Steinhatchee Fish Market. Yet, another part of her hopes with great certainty that the storm will change course. This week, she and her husband concentrated on checking for loose boards on their home and business, along with inspecting their roof for potential damage.

“It could very well impact us again, and this time it appears to be worse, which is unsettling,” she added. She reached out to vulnerable friends and family, along with other businesses closer to the Gulf of Mexico, many of which are still recovering from Idalia, while pondering the decision to evacuate.

Though the hurricane center has made significant advancements in forecasting storm tracks over the decades, its 72-hour prediction error margin is about 100 miles. This means Helene could still deviate significantly to the east or west of its anticipated landfall location south of Tallahassee, leaving many uncertain about whether to evacuate.

On Tuesday, Julie Hauserman, who lives near Tallahassee, postponed her preparation tasks, expressing on Facebook: “Honestly feeling overwhelmed and fatigued by hurricane preparations right now.”

“Everyone I speak to is feeling similar,” said Hauserman, a seasoned Florida journalist and author. “We’re exhausted, just tired from storms. It’s the same cycle repeating over and over.”

Hauserman and the McKinneys look around at damaged forests and blue skies.

With tarps covering roofs, people along the coastline reflect on the changing fates that this area, which had been largely protected from destructive hurricanes for years, now faces.

“These storms are becoming more frequent,” remarked Maggie McKinney, pointing out that hurricanes like Michael are increasingly gaining strength before hitting land.

“The Gulf temperatures are extremely high, and they are energizing these storms,” Hauserman noted.

A consensus among many scientists is that the above-average Gulf temperatures are enhancing rainfall in hurricanes and intensifying their strength. Meteorologists predict that record warmth in the Gulf of Mexico is likely to assist Helene in gaining power as it heads north.

“Intense storms making landfall is likely due to rapid intensification in the Gulf, which has a clear link to climate change,” stated Jim Kossin, an atmospheric scientist and science advisor for the First Street Foundation. “The exceptionally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico play a major role, and climate change is a contributing factor to that.

Regardless of where Helene lands, much of Florida is likely to experience its effects if the storm develops into the larger-than-expected size noted in forecasts. A storm surge is anticipated to affect nearly the entirety of Florida’s west coast. Even residents far from the storm’s center might still feel its consequences, according to Jamie Rhome, the deputy director at the hurricane center, who spoke recently.

The McKinney family, attending a reunion in Palm Coast on the east coast of Florida, decided to leave a day early on Wednesday to return home. They aim to secure their house during the storm and avoid the potential destruction that could take place to the east if Helene stays on its predicted course or shifts eastward.

According to McKinney, such storms are “devastating” to some of Florida’s most underserved rural counties.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that the economic damage from Idalia in North Florida surpassed $1 billion, while losses from Michael reached approximately $30 billion.

In several Florida communities, signs of past storms still linger, with impacts appearing to last longer in remote areas of the eastern Panhandle and Big Bend, noted Hauserman.

When England and her husband dined at a local restaurant in Steinhatchee on Monday, there was a palpable tension. The community is “still recovering from Idalia,” she mentioned. Two friends along the coastline expressed their fear: “If we experience another hit, we’re done.”

While England worries about her own community’s slow recovery, she is especially troubled about Cedar Key, a historic fishing town located 40 miles south.

“Oh my goodness,” England exclaimed. This rural area also faced flooding and damage from Idalia and Debby. Just last week, a fire devastated four businesses on the town’s Dock Street, according to city reports. Tuesday saw evacuation alerts posted and images of residents stacking sandbags.

Many Cedar Key restaurants and small businesses are still feeling the effects of prior storms, England remarked. “Now with this new threat? It’s overwhelming for some folks.”

On Tuesday, Hauserman was seen slowly packing a box on her porch with decorations and plants. She and a few friends are planning to stay at her partner’s home in Tallahassee with their pets, in hopes that power will remain or be restored swiftly.

“My house is on a tree-lined road,” she explained. “We lose power if a squirrel even sneezes.”

“You should be ready,” she added. “But what does that even mean anymore? People are just exhausted.”