BARTOW, Fla. — Communities near the Peace River in Polk County are seeing major flooding, and first responders are having to rescue people from rising waters.
The Peace River is inching closer to the homes along it. Lynn Hamm, her husband and their four pets were rescued by airboat.
“This is all land. This is a street that goes all the way down and this is a street that goes all the way down to that house. Usually... but not right now,” Hamm said.
Their Bartow home sits along the Peace River, where water made its way to the doorstep.
“We’ve been monitoring it for the last 24 hours, and it just kept creeping up higher and higher,” Hamm said.
There is still no electricity in the area, but Hamm said they were going to stick it out. That was until the Bartow Fire Department came knocking.
“We were not expecting them at all, we were ready to stay,” she said.
First responders were called out to the neighborhood because of the high rising water in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. When they got there, they found Hamms home and a few others surrounded by water, but not everyone wanted to be taken to safety.
“We did make contact with the other residents that sit along the Peace Creek and advise them we're not sure what this water rise is going to do, whether this a maximum or recede or get worse. So, they're aware of it. They're just going to have to evacuate if it gets any worse,” Deputy Chief Bartow Fire Department Byron Moore said.