Rescuers are pulling people off roofs in Florida’s flooded disaster zone, with Lee County hit the hardest. Part of the Sanibel Causeway washed away.

Flooding is the “biggest concern” in Orange County, the county’s public safety director Danny Banks said on Thursday that, adding that there is a possibility “of up to 24 inches of rain in the county.”

Last night, the fire rescue department went into neighborhoods responding to calls, and there are “over a dozen” specific neighborhoods in Orange County that the fire rescue department is in helping residents who are experiencing flooding. 

Currently, there are nine neighborhoods in the county that the fire rescue team is working in to evacuate residents, according to Banks, and “very soon” that team will be supported by the Florida National Guard. 

“You can expect within the hour to see National Guardsmen working directly with our fire rescue teams as they enter those neighborhoods and try to help people get out,” he said. 

Shelters have “plenty of capacity” and continue to house more than 1,000 people, according to Banks. That number is expected to go up today. 

“We did see some people, including people in our special needs shelters, that started to go home this morning but to replace those we have more people that are evacuating from the flood-impacted areas of the neighborhoods,” he said. 

As power companies continue doing assessments, there are approximately 200,000 to a quarter million homes without power, according to Banks. 

“We’ll have a more accurate update, I think, within the next couple of hours as to exactly how much power,” he said. 

Banks said while they are still in the impact phase, they “are quickly transitioning into the response.” 

“There are literally thousands of first responders now in the streets of Orange County, rescuing people where needed and responding to calls for help,” he said.

Source: www.cnn.com