SARASOTA, Fla. — The Sarasota Police Department's Emergency Response Team is rescuing residents stuck in flooded areas due to Hurricane Debby.
The team began transporting residents from flooded homes to higher ground around 11 a.m. Monday using ATVs and boats, according to an X post by the police department.
The rescues are happening in the Pinecraft area near Bahia Vista Street and Tuttle Avenue. Pictures show residents trudging through floodwaters with large bags and buckets filled with belongings. The road where rescue teams are is completely submerged in water.
"All material things can be replaced," resident Jessica McIntyre said. She added that floodwaters in her home are up to her neck, but she is still helping her neighbors relocate.
A county evacuation center opens at 5 p.m. Monday at Sarasota Technical College, located at 4748 S. Beneva Road in Sarasota. Officials said people who need help getting to the center can call 311. People are asked not to walk or drive through floodwaters.
Rescue crews help relocate residents in flooded areas of Sarasota
In one video posted by police, an officer is seen thigh-deep in water, and in the background, there are mailboxes that are almost underwater. A lot of the water that flooded the homes is from the nearby Phillippi Creek.
Hurricane Debby brought torrential rain and storm surge to the Tampa Bay area before making landfall as a Category 1 storm in the Big Bend region of the state.
Debby's outer rainbands continue to bring stormy weather to the Tampa Bay area throughout Monday.