The residents of a Middlesex County town, still dealing with the aftermath of flooding from Henri, are now preparing for potential flooding from Ida.

Helmetta was one of the communities hit hardest by Henri. Many homes are still uninhabitable. The residents say that they hope that the town isn’t the epicenter of Ida.

“I’m still processing everything that has gone on and I’m just trying my best to navigate through all of this,” says Helmetta resident Jessica Montes.

After lashing portions of the Gulf Coast as a hurricane, Ida is expected to move through New Jersey mid-week with a moderate risk for flash flooding. Several inches of rain is possible throughout most of the state.

“My initial thought was, ‘Be good to us, Mother Nature. Please. Step back from Helmetta and give us a break,’” says Mayor Christopher Slavicheck. “We are concerned. We’ve been in contact with our Office of Emergency Management, our director of Public Works, county and state officials preparing for the rainfall that is coming.”

Helmetta received 7 inches of rain during Henri. Montes says that most of her first floor was flooded, destroying the home. She says that the last storm helped her family prepare for the potential of upcoming flooding.

“We prepared already, so like I said, there’s no furniture. There’s nothing. The walls are ripped out, the floors are ripped out. So if water does come in, we are right where we need to be,” she says.

But the residents say that they hope that their town is sparred as they continue recovering from Henri.

Montes and her husband are staying with family right now. There is no timeline as to when they will be able to move back into their home.