Gadsden hotels booking quickly as neighbors evacuate from Hurricane Helene

• Neighbors from Wakulla County, Steinhatchee and other areas who have mandatory evacuation orders are moving northwest to avoid Hurricane Helene.
• Call volumes have been high for multiple hotels in this neighborhood.
• Watch the video to see how hotels are preparing for their guests.

BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:

Neighbors from many areas that have mandatory evacuation orders are calling Gadsden County their safe place to stay during Helene. I’m Ashley Engle your Quincy neighborhood reporter. I'm getting an inside look at how this community is welcoming in its neighbors.

Neighbors from Wakulla County, Steinhatchee and other areas who have mandatory evacuation orders are moving northwest to avoid Hurricane Helene.

Hotels in the Quincy neighborhood are getting booked quick.

Ava McKenzie is the Assistant Manager at the Hampton Inn. She tells me their call volume has increased significantly.

She says they are doing everything they can to prepare for their guests before the storm hits.

“ We’ve made sure we have plenty of water, we know we have plenty of bread and food that we can serve. If our power goes out, which is more than likely going to happen, we have our emergency lights and extra lights.”

Neighbors I spoke to that evacuated who didn’t want to be on camera say they didn’t want to take the risk and stay in their homes because they do not know how bad Helene is going to be.

Ava tells me if they have a power outage, they do not have generators, but he says this building is safe for neighbors who need to evacuate.