TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — In Citrus County, the Sheriff's Office is warning about the potential for 10 to 15 feet of catastrophic, life-threatening storm surge.
Many residents spent their day preparing their homes for the storm and preparing themselves to leave.
"River life, that's what it is," said Jen Doak.
She and her family rented a truck to move some things out of their home and lifted what they could inside the house as high as possible.
"Because our house is actually below sea level here, it's been here since 1960, so we can't fix that and so we usually rent a U-haul and just take out all of our furniture," said Doak.
Not far away, in the Cedars Lake Mobile Home and RV park, Casey Cole prepared to move her RV to higher ground.
"I am pulling my camper out from the back of the park and parking it, hopefully at Walmart," said Cole.
Her neighbor, Wanda Curry, says they have been through it before.
"In Hurricane Debbie, we had 8 inches on my spot and my spot is one of the highest in the park," said Curry.
Now, many in the park are moving their RV's to higher ground.
Curry says she expects the clubhouse and the pool at the park to flood.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office says it may be a long-term surge event.
The Sheriff's Office warned people who are considering riding out the storm:
"If you fail to evacuate and get trapped, you may not be able to be rescued until winds become safe for emergency personnel to operate. Run from the Water and Hide from the Wind."