STEINHATCHEE, FLA. (WSVN) – Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission unloaded rescue vehicles in the town of Steinhatchee with the goal of rescuing anyone who didn’t leave ahead of Hurricane Idalia.
As the storm passed Florida, officials on Wednesday afternoon are assessing the damage near ground zero and are looking for people who need help.
“It’s crazy to think about. We were just driving around here yesterday before everything started, and it looks like a completely different place now,” said resident Jessica Snodgrass.
Snodgrass and Charlie Morris left in the middle of the night and now need a boat to get back to their home.
“The wind was blowing pretty bad, the rains were starting to pick up, and at that point, the water had already risen up to where the boat ramp was,” said Snodgrass, “so we knew it was just a matter of time before it was all coming up.”
Idalia flooded much of Steinhatchee. Cleanup will take weeks, if not months..
“I’ve never seen anything, never. No, sir, never anything like this. This is surprising,” said Morris.
A sign on the town’s boarded-up church read “pray, pray, pray.”
It is a sentiment residents will take as they begin to rebuild.
No deaths directly related to the Idalia have been reported as of Wednesday afternoon. However, authorities confirmed two traffic-related deaths of people who may have been out driving during the storm.
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