HUDSON, Fla. — Emergency crews rescued 150 residents in Pasco County where Hurricane Idalia brought heavy rains and a high storm surge.
Many people living near Hudson Beach spent all of Wednesday in the heat without power. A lot of those people were trying to dry out their homes after water rushed in from the hurricane.
At the Hudson Dockside Inn, all of the units had at least a foot of water inside. The owner, who also lives at the inn, Kirk Campbell said the morning hours is when he became anxious.
"We’re exhausted, however, we’re safe," Campbell stated.
Tuesday night Campbell said everything was fine weather-wise. Throughout the night he figured he dodged another bullet, but once the early morning hit, he knew that wasn't the case.
Around 5:00 in the morning on Wednesday he said the water was rising. He recalls seeing the water high, even during low tide. That's when he made the decision to evacuate.
"By the time we were thinking we have to get out of here, we were almost too late," Campbell recalled.
Luckily, he was able to evacuate and he’s happy he did. On the outside wall of the inn, you can see the water line and how high the water got inside. In most units, there was at least a foot of water and two feet in other units. Campbell explained the inn had never seen anything like this, but he was thankful everyone was uninjured.
"What doesn’t cost life or limb, doesn’t cost anything," Campbell added.
Pasco County officials are also tallying up the damage. If your home was damaged, you can go onto the county’s website and report that damage to their assessment teams.