PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – These last-minute storm preparations are underway and hardware stores are overwhelmed as people go from stocking up on materials to clean up and repair storm-damaged homes to trying for the second time in less than a month to to protect them.

For Eric Johnson, filling shopping carts to the brim and waiting in long lines becomes routine. He was just hit hard by Hurricane Helene.

“I had three feet of water in my house,” he said. “Everything I own is in front of my house.”

As a lifelong Floridian, business owner and hurricane survivor, preparing for a storm like this doesn’t get any easier.

“You know, the most emotional part of it. Last Friday I went into my garage and everything my child owned was floating around in my garage. She’s 11. I threw out her pictures. Toys,” he said.

This emotional feeling is shared by so many who stop in front of this Home Depot. Dominic and Hoa Nguyen also want to prepare their home in Pinellas Park.

“We were actually still cleaning up after the last hurricane, Helene. We had a lot of trash in our yard that we needed to get rid of just in case it became dangerous and flew around.”

They came to get their hands on one of the hottest items. A generator.

“I’m trying to figure out if we can get generators, supplies to keep the power on, and something to close the window,” Dominic said.

But they were a minute too late. All generators were sold out. After seeing that the line was long and the item they needed most was gone, they left empty-handed but still on a mission to protect their home during the storm.

Johnson said he was just as determined to do the same.

“I got my child out of here. I grab everything I can and put it where I think it’s safe. I hope my business is still there when I’m done. After that, who knows,” Johnson said.

While many people in the store say they are worried, most are hopeful and fully prepared.