Deputies Helped More Than 100 People Out of Brevard's Floodwater, and Airboats Pulled Seven From a West Melbourne Subdivision
The human toll of the Space Coast flood came into focus Monday: more than 100 motorists helped from rising water, airboat rescues in West Melbourne, a shelter-in-place in Palm Bay - and the city's own fire headquarters under water.
BREVARD COUNTY - The rescue count from Florida's Space Coast flood now runs past a hundred people. Brevard County sheriff's deputies helped more than 100 people who were caught in rising waters while driving to work or running errands on Monday, Brevard Emergency Management spokesperson Don Walker told Florida Today in a report read in full by this desk, and airboats pulled at least seven residents from their homes at the Wingate subdivision in West Melbourne. Palm Bay Fire Rescue crews handled nearly a dozen calls for motorists stranded in the water.
The water reached the responders, too. Palm Bay's fire department headquarters flooded, forcing firefighters to relocate to City Hall, and the city issued a shelter-in-place about noon 'due to significant roadway flooding throughout the city.' Sheriff Wayne Ivey's message at the county's Monday afternoon briefing was direct: 'If you can stay put, stay put,' he said. 'We're seeing significant traffic crashes, we're seeing vehicles that are trapped in the middle of the road.' And to anyone still trapped: 'We will get to you. I don't care if we have to swim to you or kayak to you.'
The utilities are part of the damage now. Palm Bay cut water service to several neighborhoods near Malabar Road and Port Malabar Boulevard after a water main break, and said flooding had kept crews from safely reaching the break; service stays off until conditions improve, and a precautionary boil-water notice will follow once it returns. No evacuation orders had been issued. Emergency Operations Center director John Scott said he expects floodwaters to recede as the storm tapers off Monday evening - the first turn from rescue toward recovery in a day this station has covered from the flash flood emergency through the governor's emergency declaration.
