Cedar Key residents begin storm preparations

CEDAR KEY, Fla. (WCJB) - Along the coast, residents of Cedar Key are already getting their storm preparations started.

Potential Tropical Cyclone 9 is expected to strengthen into a hurricane later this week. Some residents began filling sandbags near City Hall.

"You really hope it's not true, but if it is true, then you got to plan for it," said resident Jim Martindale. "We've got some garage doors that we want to sandbag around it and hopefully that will hold the water back if we get to that point. We hope we don't."

Earlier this year, Hurricane Debby hit North Central Florida, including Levy County.

RELATED: Cedar Key business owners optimistic after Hurricane Debby's landfall

Just last week, a fire destroyed multiple businesses on Dock Street. Work crews say they have to clean up faster in case the storm blows debris away.

"It's definitely all of a sudden, it came in kind of quick so now we got to get prepared for it," said Bradley Taylor. "Thank God we got a good enough team, everybody works together, everybody's going to come in and out, and we'll be able to take everything and clean it up."

Taylor told TV20 he is visiting from Fort White, where he's experienced some storms too.

"The worst ones are the ones you don't really prepare for much are the ones that get us the most. But it's always board up the windows, get everything locked in, and make sure anything that flies away hold it down," said Taylor.

Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Monday declaring a state of emergency in 41 counties, including Alachua, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, Marion, Suwannee, and Union.