NAPLES, Fla. (WSVN) — As Hurricane Harvey inched closer to Texas, Friday, torrential rains hit the Southwest Coast of Florida and caused massive flooding in a neighborhood in Naples.
7News cameras captured what is normally a small pond overflowing into the street, causing it to resemble a lake.
The flood waters filled the backyard of a home, reaching up to about two-thirds of the height of a chain-link fence bordering the property.
The neighborhood temporarily lost a connecting road, making for challenging driving conditions. “I’ve only been here for almost two years, and I’ve never seen it like this,” said area resident Shirley Shields.
Others ventured out to document the flooding for themselves. “I wanted to take a picture just to show my family,” said area resident Lin Rhimes.
A school bus driver was seen turning around after a stalled out Cadillac blocked the flooded road.
When asked whether he was able to drive through the flooded road, resident Nick Shepherd replied, “No, we’re not. I have to go a different way to get to my house, actually.”
But many drivers, even those in small cars, decided to take the risk, keeping tow truck drivers busy. Just after 4 p.m., a Chevy Camaro was seen barely making it out of a flooded area.
Meanwhile, WZVN news cameras captured video of a pair of waterspouts that formed on the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Naples. They did not pose a threat to land.
Shields said even leaving her house is a time-consuming chore. “Oh, my gosh. We can’t get out of our driveway and come down. We have to go around the other way,” she said.
The incessant downpours also flooded a nearby high school and caused a stalled out Honda Civic to become stuck in the middle of a street. The driver was able to safely exit the vehicle.
Tow truck operator Danny Lott advised motorists of low-clearing cars to turn around, whenever possible, if they encounter a flooded area. “Just don’t go through the water if it’s over the road. You don’t know how deep it is,” he said. “You end up having a road shut down because of you … and I charge a lot.”
Shields said she and her family plan to patiently wait out the inclement weather. “Looks like some more is coming, though,” she said.
Lott said he towed between 15 and 20 cars over the last 24 hours.
Nevertheless, residents said they will take this flooding, considering what residents in Texas are about to experience.
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