ST. MARKS, Fla. − On Thursday morning, a small group of locals observed water levels rising by several inches every half hour where two rivers converge before flowing into Apalachee Bay.

In the Big Bend area of Florida, many coastal residents prepared for Hurricane Helene by boarding up windows, filling their gas tanks, and purchasing bottled water. In the quaint fishing town of St. Marks, approximately 30 miles south of Tallahassee, locals dedicated their morning to readying their homes for the hurricane, all while hoping the storm would change its path. The last major hurricane that impacted this region spared St. Marks from significant damage.

By 11 a.m., stone crab fisherman Philip Tooke, 63, was stationed on the dock of his family business, St. Mark’s Seafoods, monitoring the increasing rain and any shifts in wind direction.

He recounted previous experiences with floodwaters nearly reaching his building, but expressed concern over the potential impact of a 15-foot storm surge, despite his structure standing at about 20 feet tall.

He and his sibling intended to ride out the storm on their fishing boats, letting out line as the water level increased.

“You have to jump from one boat to another to keep them rising with the tide,” he mentioned. “It can get a bit chaotic.”

The trio of boats—Jenny Lee, Susan D, and La Victoria—are too large to be taken out on a trailer. While the brothers briefly thought about heading to Pensacola for safety, they ultimately chose to stay.

Tooke hopes the storm will shift eastward, where the population is scarce.

“I have sympathy for those to the east, but if we don’t get hit directly, we should be fine,” Tooke remarked. “It hasn’t gotten too severe yet. It will get worse by tonight. It won’t be enjoyable down here.”

A few doors down, marina proprietor Brett Shields was also readying to stay. However, he mentioned that he might leave if the storm reaches Category 3 status.

Over recent days, Shields and his team removed 77 boats from the water, and disconnected the fuel pumps to prevent damage.

On Thursday morning, his store was open, offering free coffee to the small number of reporters in town. The sheriff’s office was active in patrolling the area, as the river rose, with their vehicles splashing through the floodwaters covering parts of Riverside Drive by 11 a.m.

“We’re going to get some wind. I can deal with wind. The issue is that the tide brings in all the mud from the marsh,” Shields explained. “We just need it to shift a bit east so we don’t receive the water.”

Brian Miller, 49, lives in one of the houses closest to the bay. On Thursday morning, he was unloading food from his refrigerator before locking his front door.

He isn’t worried about flooding: his two-story modular home, built three years ago, is elevated on 17-foot concrete pillars, as mandated by local zoning regulations.

However, he is concerned that some boats tied along the river might break free in the winds and storm surge, potentially damaging his pillars or the white wooden stairs leading to his front door.

“It’s built to withstand Category 5 storms, so I’m hopeful it will still be standing after the hurricane,” said Miller, 49.

Folks here have faced many hurricanes before.

In 2005, Hurricane Dennis brought a surge of chest-high water through the area, causing Bo Lynn’s Grocery to flood and prompting former owner Joy Brown to escape in a rowboat. On Thursday, the grocery store was tightly shut, and the town was mostly deserted.

Shields, the marina owner, observed from the upper deck of his establishment as the river overflowed past a concrete block he had positioned just ten minutes earlier to gauge the water level.

“I’m exhausted from dealing with storms,” he lamented. “I’ve been at this my whole life.”

As the water continued to rise, Tooke, the crab fisherman, contemplated the implications for his livelihood. The stone crab season kicks off on Oct. 15, but crabbers can set traps ahead of time.

Tooke and his brother fish throughout Apalachee Bay, venturing up to 20 miles offshore to catch stone crabs, removing one of their large claws to sell. Crab claws can fetch over $70 per pound.

“With a hurricane appearing just two weeks before the season begins, this will likely have a negative impact,” he said. “It’s uncertain how this kind of storm will affect the crab population.”