Water as high as street signs. A home burning even as floodwaters rose. Boats smashed into houses.
These are just a few of the dramatic sights shared by city officials as they work to rescue people impacted by Hurricane Helene, which slammed into Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 storm late Thursday night and quickly moved across the area.
South Pasadena, Florida shared multiple videos of the storm, including that of the home on fire amid surging floodwaters. The city said crews were working to respond to all emergencies, but the dangerous weather conditions might hinder those efforts. The city did not say if there was anyone inside the home at the time, or if the blaze had been extinguished.
In the video, first responders from the South Pasadena Fire Department and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office can be heard asking if there is anyone inside other homes in the neighborhood.
The city also said that large objects, including dumpsters, were being pushed through the floodwaters, making conditions particularly perilous.
A second video shared by the city shows floodwaters reaching the tops of cars. Strong wind can be heard ripping through the area as the rescuers steer their boat through the flooded area.
In Treasure Island, Florida, the force of the storm slammed boats into homes along the city’s main causeway.
The causeway did not have any standing water, but earlier photos from other parts of the city show high water around businesses and residences.
The city had said that at points of the storm, rescues could not be made in certain neighborhoods because of the weather conditions.
In Tampa, a video shared by the city and Mayor Jane Castor shows heavy flooding in coastal parts of the city. The video, taken by a Castor aboard a police helicopter, shows the flooded streets of Davis Island.
Roadways to the area had been closed by heavy rainfall even before Hurricane Helene made rainfall, and have still not been reopened, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Helene made landfall in Florida just after 11 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour at the time. Many residents had been under evacuation orders, but city officials reported conducting dozens or even hundreds of rescues across the state.