‘I can’t believe I do not have my house:’ Debby forces evacuations in Manatee County

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — More than 200 people had to be rescued and brought to higher ground in Manatee County after Tropical Storm Debby brought heavy rains and widespread flooding to the Tampa Bay region.

First responders have been working tirelessly to save family after family.

“I can’t believe I do not have my house right now,” Jill Sauchinintz said.

With knee-high waters, and flooding to the roof of homes, Debby forced many families to evacuate.

“They had to release the water [from Lake Manatee] because they did not want the dam to break, it just came everywhere it was ridiculous,” resident Mike Gregory said.

These treacherous conditions have led to numerous water rescues as emergency teams race against the clock to save stranded residents on military trucks, and rescue rafts.

“We packed what we could in 15 minutes, waited for fire rescue to come, my house is destroyed,” Sauchinintz said.

While Sauchinintz said she waited for help, the flooding took a scary turn.

“Water is coming in through the garage, water is coming in through the siding glass doors, water is coming in through the bathroom doors, water is coming in through the front door, Sauchinintz said.

Homeowners in the Lakewood Ranch neighborhood told 8 On Your Side many of them do not have flood insurance because they said they technically do not live in a flood prone area. They are now dealing with the burden of covering the damage on their own.

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