FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Residents in Broward County have had difficult days trying to clean up their community after historic floods damaged several homes, nearly a week ago.
City officials told 7News that 710 properties sustained damage in the city so far as they continue to assess damages.
7News cameras captured residents in the Edgewood neighborhood, Tuesday, as they continued to clean their homes. On Wednesday city trash pickup was underway, a week after the historic floods.
Families with the economic means have hired companies to take care of the mold and start restoration on their homes.
Families like Irina’s are desperately trying to save anything.
“The water is coming through the windows, through the doors, through the walls even,” she recalled, Tuesday night, as she continued to clean up.
One thing these residents are happy about is the weather because it stopped raining and the sun was out.
One woman had to escape her apartment from the window after her home flooded.
“I had to climb up on the chair to climb out until the water outside was level in the inside,” Calleen Shirley said.
She has never experienced such devastating flooding in her community.
“In my lifetime, no,” Shirley said. “No, no, no.”
Now, she, like everyone in her neighborhood, are in clean up mode.
7News cameras captured residents rolling furniture out of their homes.
“Got to dry it out, try to rebuild it, but there’s no money,” said a resident, “so I don’t know.”
Many people do not have flood insurance and are counting on FEMA to assist them.
“Really, it’s taken so long to call this a disaster?” Will False said. “I think, we haven’t even seen anybody come here and look at all this.”
Local help has been coming since the rain began falling.
City leaders discussed details in their first meeting since.
“Our team has rescued or relocated approximately 900 people,” said an official.
Now we are hearing those phone calls to 911 that prompted those rescues.
“There’s just water just getting everywhere,” said a caller. “It flooded the kitchen, and it went into the living room, and it’s getting down the main hall, and it’s getting to the bedroom.”
As people continue to assess the damage to their homes, FEMA was on the scene evaluating damages to determine if they will qualify for assistance.
“How is it that now we are basically left homeless with this shell of a house that’s not livable right now, and nobody is doing anything,” said Irina. “Nobody’s tried to reach out. We’re trying to look for it, and everywhere we look, we’re getting denied or rerouted to something else.”
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.