After Ian dumped record levels of rain across Florida, rivers flooded, leaving thousands stranded on newly created islands.
DeSoto County Commissioner J.C. Deriso turns his airboat around before heading out to help hurricane survivors stranded on newly-created islands brought on by the flooding Peace River.DeSoto County Commissioner J.C. Deriso turns his airboat around before heading out to help hurricane survivors stranded on newly-created islands brought on by the flooding Peace River.ARCADIA, Fla. — The devastation from the storm surge was 50 miles away on the coast, so Ana Aguilar thought she was fine.
"People we were saying the day after the storm — there were some people wanting to stay because they thought they were good, and the next day, they realized they needed to get out 'cause it was over their roofs," he said. "Our community was pretty well-prepared for the storm and high winds, but the flood was pretty unexpected. They're saying it's really close to a 500-year flood," said Deriso. His airboat zipped over the yellow line in the middle of the highway, visible through several feet of rushing water. Mobile homes floated in an RV park across from a Sunoco station with water pouring over the tops of the gas pumps.
"We just don't have anything right now," she said, standing outside a food tent set up by a local charity. She's been sleeping in her car, which is somehow still running, even though there's mud on the roof and the windshield from where the water washed over it.