"It happened so fast": Areas of Indian River County pounded by rain, left with flooding
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Peggy Cummins' street in Vero Lake Estates was overflowing with knee-deep water. As the rainwater swelled during Thursday's storm, it washed through the sand that forms her street and brewed it into a soup of muck and mud. Her trash cans floated away like toy boats in a pond. A few blocks away, an older Volvo sedan was slowly being swallowed up by the water.
Thursday night's storm turned her house into an island.
"It just happened so fast," said Cummins. "We have not seen anything like this other than a hurricane."
Out of the blue
The storm dumped about 14 inches of localized rainfall on the neighborhood as well as on Fellsmere.
"Last night was scary," said Alison Spinelli, another Estates resident and Cummins' friend. "I don't think there was a lot of time to prepare or notify people. But everyone has been really nice and neighborly."
Most of the rain fell during a 24-hour period beginning 7 a.m. Thursday.
Indian River County Emergency Services Department reported the flooding Friday morning.
A portion of 101st Avenue — between County Road 512 and 87th Street — was closed.
Vero Lake Estates as well as Fellsmere canceled trash collection Friday.
"It is starting to dry up, especially since the sun came out," said Spinelli later on Friday. "The water just needs somewhere to go."
There was not much that anyone could have done to prevent the flooding, officials said.
"We knew there was going to be significant rainfall," said Mason Kozac, Indian River County Emergency Management spokesperson. "This was definitely a little out of the blue. We plan for this but there are no good heads up for heavy, localized events such as this."
Soggy Fellsmere
Downtown Fellsmere was turned into to a swamp. Water was sitting in the street as if the town is being swallowed by the nearby Stick Marsh.
"Fellsmere sits in a basin," said County Commissioner Susan Adams, who owns Marsh Landing restaurant. "However, this is the worst we have seen in quite sometime, and the flooding is extreme."
Marsh Landing sits on Broadway in downtown Fellsmere, one of the streets closed due to the flooding. On Thursday night, the wake from cars passing by pushed water through the doors of the restaurant, according to manager Amber Cerda.
Cars could be seen splitting the water, in some spots dipping their headlights below the waterline, indifferent to safety warnings to be careful and the glares by annoyed onlookers.
The restaurant remained closed Friday.
Lending a friendly hand
Michael Hulvert rushed to the aid of his coworker Friday morning.
His coworker's 2012 Honda Accord was stuck in a mud sink. The doors would not open and water had filled the car up to the seats. He tried starting it multiple times to no avail, and eventually called Hulvert.
Hulvert, jump at the call for help despite a language barrier: he speaks little Spanish, and his coworker speaks little English.
"I think he is more than likely looking at a blown engine," said Hulvert. "We are going to do everything we can, but there is no way either of us are going into work. I think it is important that we look out for each other."
That car wasn't the only flooded vehicle. Three Marsh Landing employees had to be shuttled home after their shift Thursday evening because of car trouble caused by the rising water.
Flooded and abandoned vehicles also have been the main concern of emergency services in Fellsmere and Vero Lakes Estates.
"The biggest issue is people getting themselves stuck," said Kozac. "EMS, Fellmere Fire Department and the county Sheriffs Office are all working together and responding to any calls for service of vehicles stuck and stranded.
"Thankfully there have been no other emergency situations outside of the vehicles getting stuck," said Kozac.
He left with advice:
"Turn around, do not drown and if you have property damage, go to the EMS website or social media to report it."
More: Up to 14 inches of rain floods Fellsmere, Vero Lake Estates
More: Beaches expected to take a hit again from two-day storm that pounded Treasure Coast
Nick Slater is TCPalm’s Indian River County Watchdog reporter. You can reach him at Nick.Slater@tcpalm.com and 224-830-2875.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero Lake Estates and Fellsmere hit hardest by flooding following torrential rainfall
