Severe weather threat has Pasco County residents still recovering from Hurricane Idalia bracing for storm

HUDSON, Fla. - Sandbagging sites in Pasco County reopened Monday, ahead of expected severe weather on Tuesday.

Parts of Pasco County bared the brunt of several storms over the last several months that left flooding and other damage behind.

Many residents in Pasco County are still recovering and repairing their homes after Hurricane Idalia in August.

Emergency management officials say resident in Pasco County should expect high winds and wind gusts and potential coastal flooding.

"We just had the same event happen a month ago," Andrew Fossa, the director of Pasco County Emergency Management said. "We had houses impacted on it. And the winds, this go around, our winds are going to be extremely strong. We’re expecting 25 to 35-mile per hour sustained winds and gusts up to 60 miles per hour."

READ: Clean up efforts underway after Hurricane Idalia for Pasco County residents

Fossa says a lot of residents faced flooding from Idalia, and then again from storms in December.

Flooded streets in Pasco County following Hurricane Idalia. 

"Especially along the west coast, the Hudson area, the Aripeka area, they took a pretty big impact with Idalia," Fossa said. "They had up to four to six feet in their houses. This last go around, it was anywhere from 10 inches to about two feet, and they were still mucking out and we had it last month, and now we’re going to get it again."

READ: Hurricane Idalia: Crews rescue Hudson Beach residents trapped inside homes

Residents were filling sandbags at the Magnolia Valley Golf Course sandbagging site Monday evening, an anticipation of more potential flooding.

"We’re still in the process of fixing up the house, so to have it flooded again so soon would definitely be a setback, so we’re just preparing," David Faulkenberry said.

Faulkenberry’s home had floodwaters four feet high after Idalia.

Flooded streets in Pasco County following Hurricane Idalia. 

"Total gut," Faulkenberry said. "Total gut. Everything had to come out of it. It hasn’t flooded in the 15 years that we owned it, so that last storm, I guess the high tides and the high winds pushed it in, and that’s apparently that’s exactly what’s happening this time."

Emergency officials says the county has crews and equipment on standby to handle floodwaters and debris removal.

READ: Idalia aftermath: Pasco County residents clean up after major hurricane

"The threat is there," Fossa said. "We are trying to prepare as best we can."

Fossa also reminds people to secure and move outdoor furniture and other items inside, because they can become projectiles with high winds.

Flooded streets in Pasco County following Hurricane Idalia. 

Residents who were out bagging sand Monday night say they do this every time before severe weather and would rather be safe than sorry.

"We just wanted to be on the safe side," Faulkenberry said. "I hope we don’t even have to take them out of the truck, but if we do, they’re there."

Pasco County Schools are closed on Tuesday. The district expects to return fully operational and have a full day of school on Wednesday.