‘Floored by the generosity’: Volunteers help deputy gut home that was destroyed by Hurricane Ian

More than 50 volunteers from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office gathered Monday to help Deputy Ronald Hunt and his neighbors demo their homes that were destroyed by Hurricane Ian’s floodwaters.

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Hunt said he was on-duty during the storm and noticed flooding in the roads of his neighborhood while returning home from work.

“I started calling my wife to wake her up; (I) let her know when she woke up,” Hunt said. “She realized she was standing in three inches of water in the house.”

Some residents in the community had to sit on countertops to stay dry in their flood homes.

Read: ‘Nothing has been done’: Orlo Vista residents fed up with ongoing flooding issues

Julia Moore, one of Hunt’s neighbors, said that her dog was trapped on a bed while her home was flooding.

“It was absolutely horrible,” Moore said.

Although Moore and others in her neighborhood lost everything, they still had each other to lean on.

Read: St. Cloud residents evacuate as water expected to rise after Ian

Moore said that volunteers came to the rescue, to help her and her father.

“They were able to pitch in and and get done what we needed to (do),” Moore said. “My father (is) a vet, so they came by across the street ... to help him now.”

Hunt said he is grateful for the support system he has from his colleagues.

“When we first got to the shelter, we had our first donation within an hour,” Hunt said. “I’m floored by the generosity of my coworkers, friends, family.”

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