DES MOINES, Iowa — Among the thousands who lost their homes in Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, are Iowa natives Clint and Kelli Jahn.
The couple had recently moved to St. Petersburg, Florida in August and now find themselves back in Iowa.
Hours before Hurricane Helene swept over multiple Southeastern states, Kelli and Clint evacuated their home in and traveled inland to Orlando.
The flooding from Helene affected their family the most, and forced them to move back to Iowa to live with Kelli's parents for now.
"It's still just so surreal," Kelli Jahn told Local 5 News on Thursday. "I don't think it's really going to, we're not going to understand the gravity of it until we move through it."
The couple's house was wrecked by the storm and had 5 feet of water inside, which forced them to find alternative housing options.
"It's just a lot of anxiety," Clint Jahn explained. "You're stuck waiting there's nothing you can do. It's a very empty feeling. You're just waiting to see what happens."
In the days after Helene, before traveling up to Iowa for somewhere to stay, the couple said their neighbors really helped them get through this time.
They said other Floridians were giving their kids rides to work while the couple worked on the house, and others helped pull damaged furniture out of their home.
Clint and Kelli are planning to fly back to Florida this weekend to stay in a temporary house while they survey any further damages from Hurricane Milton. They and many others are looking for help now transitioning into the recovery stage.