SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – Officials in Sumter County put out a voluntary evacuation order for those living along the Withlacoochee River on Monday.
The voluntary evacuation order was posted on social media and said water levels had exceeded 11 feet on Monday and are expected to surpass 13 feet by Oct. 18.
First responders had a staging area set up at the intersection of County Road 684 and County Road 688 near the Croom area with fire trucks, a high-water rescue vehicle and an airboat.
Sheriff’s deputies were going door to door via airboat asking people if they wanted to be evacuated.
According to Sumter County Fire and EMS officials on scene, as of around 1:30 Monday afternoon, 13 people had evacuated along with pets.
Some first responders were seen wading in the flood water as they went door-to-door to alert residents.
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Catherine Wetelainen along with Roy and Ellen Thebo were some of the people who chose to evacuate.
“It’s going to be questionable if we have water in the house or not,” Roy Thebo said. “We were gone during the hurricane and came back about three days ago and now they’re wanting us out, so heed warning and leave.”
The Thebos evacuated during Hurricane Milton and are leaving their home again just days after returning.
“We evacuated and then we came back,” Ellen Thebo said. “At least we got our neighbors, our animals.”
All three evacuated with animals, including a German Shephard, a Pug and baby chicks.
“These guys were awesome helping us out in their boat, they brought my chickens, my baby chickens, they’re less than a week old,” Catherine Wetelainen said.
In a neighborhood near Lake Bowling, resident Andre Ricaldi told News 6 that water started rising behind his home over the weekend — days after Milton had already passed.
“We’re using kayaks to take out belongings from our house, especially things that can’t be replaced,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking because you survive the storm, and then the water just keeps getting higher.”
While Ricaldi’s neighborhood has not yet been placed under an official evacuation order, the rising waters are still causing significant distress. Ricaldi now has to park his truck on the road and use a kayak to access his home. He has also lent kayaks to his neighbors to help them navigate the floodwaters.
Jimmy Boyd, another resident near Lake Bowling, echoed Ricaldi’s concerns about the rise in water levels. Despite his efforts, Boyd expressed uncertainty about how much more water his home can withstand.
“I’m just dealing with it,” Boyd said. “That’s all you can do. You hope it doesn’t get much higher, but it’s emotional. You count your blessings, but sometimes you still find yourself crying.”
Sumter County Emergency Management Director, David Casto, said they are possibly looking at a historic flood and is urging people to get out now.
“We’re telling people to evacuate now where we’re advising them,” Casto said. “It’s not a mandatory evacuation, but we’re advising them to evacuate now because if if they feel like they’re going to be trapped, either isolated or water in the structure, they’re putting our first responders lives in danger by going out there to rescue them.”
A pet-friendly shelter has opened up at the Sumter County Fairgrounds for those wanting to evacuate. It is being run by Red Cross. Due to the unsafe conditions, the county said all public boat ramps in Sumter County are closed.
To read the full post from Sumter County, click here.
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