Relentless rain triggered unprecedented flash flooding in eastern Florida on Monday, prompting one Palm Bay neighbor to risk the rising waters to help residents trapped inside their homes.
Rick Addante said several people in Turtle Creek, a Palm Bay neighborhood, were elderly, ill or had limited mobility. As the water continued to rise, they were unable to evacuate on their own.
“Nobody expected this to happen,” Addante said. “All of a sudden, everything just started rising so quickly, and the streets started filling up.”
Each time residents thought the flooding had reached its peak, he said, the water climbed even higher.
“It became really clear how serious it was going to become,” Addante said.
Two neighbors were of particular concern. One was an 80-year-old man named Terry, who lived alone with his dog and had recently undergone open-heart surgery. The other had progressive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, and could not evacuate with his family because he relied on a motorized wheelchair.
“Both of them were in kind of dire straits,” Addante said. He repeatedly moved through the flooded area between homes to check on the neighbors and monitor their safety.
Addante said he and other residents worked together to ensure both men were safe while they waited for evacuation assistance.
Water was pouring into swimming pools and backyards from the seawall behind the homes, he said, making the situation increasingly urgent.
As water inside Terry’s home rose to his knees, Addante helped him prepare to leave along with his dog, Bella.
After moving between Terry’s home, the other residences and his own house, Addante and his neighbors began hearing the loud roar of airboats approaching the neighborhood.
Addante, Terry, Bella and their belongings waited for airboats from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to arrive before beginning the evacuation.
Video shared by Addante shows him and Florida FWC officers helping Terry and Bella out of the home. The dog appeared frightened by the sound of the airboat.
Garbage cans floated through the streets, while the floodwater rose nearly to the tops of the mailboxes as Terry was taken to safety.
The rescuers brought Terry to an airboat, helped him aboard and secured him before transporting him to safety. He was then able to get warm, dry off and reunite with his family.
Addante said other rescuers remained in the area and moved to the next home, where they evacuated the neighbor with ALS, along with his wife and daughter.
Additional videos show Addante assisting with evacuations and coordinating rescue efforts with FWC personnel.
FWC teams continued working to free people trapped inside their homes. Addante said he also learned of another house where three residents were stranded on the second floor because of the flooding.
After confirming that people were inside, the FWC teams hurried to the home.
While Addante helped with the rescues, other neighbors assisted his family by getting generators running and checking on his wife and children.
“It really was a big team effort of a lot of people from a lot of churches, and neighbors who came together,” Addante said.
Addante said he was thankful to the neighbors who stepped forward to help, adding that they deserved equal credit for the rescue effort.
By the following day, the floodwaters had receded, but residents were left to begin the difficult cleanup.
Addante said people had already started removing damaged flooring and carpeting from homes inundated by the flood.
