<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2qtxM2_0oF0ywU300" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2qtxM2_0oF0ywU300" width="1200" height="600" >TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - As Hurricane Idalia approaches, people in Keaton Beach boarded up their windows, packed their things and left their homes -- getting as far away from the coast as they can before the storm hits.WCTV spoke with people as they were packing up to leave, including Mandy Adams and her neighbor Theresa Collins. They’ve been watching the forecast and following orders to evacuate. Tuesday evening they hit the road and headed to Madison, Fla.“Everyone’s gone,” Adams said. “People that usually could care less about their stuff, I see it tied up and ice machines gone, and boats are pulled from lifts. I mean, everyone’s taking it really serious this time.”Adams and Collins told WCTV they’re scared and worried about what their homes will look like when they return to Keaton Beach after the storm.A few houses down, Tim Ragan loaded up a U-Haul, locked his front door and headed to Lakeland, Ga.His house in Keaton Beach made it through Hurricane Hermine in 2016 and Hurricane Michael in 2018. Both times, it flooded with several feet of water. Ragan has marks on his wall to prove it. He’s hoping when he comes back, his house will still be there, and he can add another mark to the wall.Unlike most homes in the area, his isn’t elevated, so he’s not optimistic about his prospects. He said he’s putting his safety first and trusting everything will work out. He urges his neighbors to do the same.“Take it seriously,” Ragan said. Go home. Get out of the panhandle. We’ll go home, watch channel six news and somebody will get a drone flown over here tomorrow and we’ll know. It’ll be what it’ll be.”To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook and Twitter.Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Write us here. Please include the article's headline in your message.Keep up with all the biggest headlines on the WCTV News app. Click here to download it now.</div></body>

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Keaton Beach residents evacuate, prepare for storm

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - As Hurricane Idalia approaches, people in Keaton Beach boarded up their windows, packed their things and left their homes -- getting as far away from the coast as they can before the storm hits. WCTV spoke with people as they were packing up to leave, including...