LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. — After emergency crews rescued them from their waterlogged homes, hundreds of neighbors are safe tonight in Manatee County.
Several reports of flooded homes began early Monday morning in the Lakewood Ranch area near State Road 70. Some subdivisions near Center Laek and Braden River experienced high waters and road closures due to Hurricane Debby. The flood waters forced the families to flee their homes and take shelter elsewhere.
In neighborhoods near the Center Lake area right off of Whitfield and Prospect, nearly 80 people were first evacuated to the Crosspointe Church. The church pastor and his family happened to be on the property overnight seeking higher ground from their RV park. They were able to usher the evacuated families in to dry out.
"There were people standing around soaking wet. There was one family. They had a newborn baby, a two-month-old preemie with a couple of other little children and dogs so we just grabbed them, brought them in, and kept them warm," Robin Weaver of Crosspointe Church said.
"Many were scared, they were just tired and said it took them all by surprise," Weaver added.
Weaver didn't stop at providing towels and some change of clothing found in the church's storage, she helped transport some families without vehicles to connect with their loved ones.
"I just dropped off a family in Ellenton. They had family coming to meet them from Tampa and she was saying she came out this morning, they had been sleeping and walked into her living room and the water was about to her knee and thigh area, and then she said we've got to get what we can get and get out of here. As they got to the street, it kind of went down a little bit and she said it was up to her neck," she explained.
Some of those neighbors were later taken to Nolan Middle School which opened up as a shelter so they could get the assistance they needed.
The evacuation of neighborhoods near River Club Blvd and Clubhouse Drive began in the afternoon when the Braden River began overflowing its bank.
"It's close to the Braden River so I think that's what's caused the flooding. This lawn over here is normally 2 feet wide but now it's a raging river," Andrzej Strzalkows, who came to check on a friend and his office nearby, said.
"They evacuated the whole neighborhood over there. The water flooded it. When I was trying to get there on the bike, there was like water to the waist deep so I couldn't bike there anymore so the house is flooded and I guess nobody's there," he added.
Several roads were also closed off with barricades and signs warning of water-covered roads. Several Manatee County deputies were stationed at different intersections to redirect traffic and caution drivers about driving through flooded roads.
Emergency teams helped rescue some of the neighbors from the subdivision including with kayaks. Around a dozen were seen packed onto the back of a red evacuation truck.
"Praise God for these wonderful rescue guys," said one neighbor from the back of the truck.
One at a time or in pairs, others treaded through the water on foot with their pets in tow as they clung to what little belongings they could bring along with them.
"Our house had at least 10 inches of rain or river. It's going to be a while till we get it back out there," said one neighbor.
"I had brain surgery two years ago. This is harder than that," another added.
In the last 24 hours, more than 200 people, plus small pets and 2 horses, were rescued in 35 water rescue operations throughout the county, according to officials.
"We are facing an unprecedented weather event with Hurricane Debby," Manatee County Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske said in a statement.
"The safety of our residents is our top priority, and we are doing everything in our power to respond effectively to this crisis. I commend the heroic efforts of our emergency responders and the resilience of our community during this challenging time," she added.
Officials also said several locations throughout the county surpassed the 25- to 100-year flood levels with record-breaking rainfall reported. They added that three plugs located at the auxiliary spillway, designed to automatically keep Lake Manatee at a manageable level, functioned properly.
Residents are also being urged to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel until floodwaters recede. They are also urged to call 911 for any emergency if they are in danger or need any evacuation assistance or 311 for non-emergency situations.
