TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Three people were rescued from shoulder-high floodwater as a line of severe storms moved through the Florida Panhandle.
In a video posted online by the Tallahassee Police Department, first responders worked to secure a rescue line to a tree to help a group of people stranded in deep water.
Members of law enforcement tied the rescue line around a tree and helped guide the three people – one-by-one – to higher ground. Trees can be seen thrashing in the wind and the strength of the flooding is visible by how it flows past the people in the water, who have to work against it and trudge through to make it to safety.
Rescue lines are used to help guide people to safety when they are in a position where mobility is difficult. In this case, the strong flooding can make it hard to walk around without losing control and being overpowered by the flowing water.
Holding onto the rescue line acts as a sort of anchor to keep the person from being swept away.
Florida's panhandle saw flash flooding that came up to car windows and completely washed out sections of roadways.
One private road in the area was so damaged it looked as though a river was flowing through the middle of the street, trapping local residents on either side and preventing any cars from getting through.
A Facebook post from the Leon County Sheriff's Office shows trees down and more than 30 flooded areas where emergency officials worked to make it safe for drivers.
The same storm system impacted the Tampa Bay area on Thursday, causing coastal flooding as well as delays and cancellations at many local airports.