This tropical storm has been killing us. Our whole city is being evacuated and it is all about 5-6 feet underwater. I've already pulled about 15 people out of deep water they thought they could cross with their little Toyotas and we've had to swim in waist-high sewage to rescue some stubborn people. I've been up for 42 hours with no sleep and I'm home just long enough to was all 6 pairs of my now-wet uniforms and get a shower. Here is what I've been dealing with over the past 12 hours.

Flooded airport (but my plane is at the highest spot on the Tarmac, woot!)



Headed back to the station from a call



Clearing I-10 of some trees:



US90 @ Live Oak



Me headed into a home to rescue a woman and her kid





Our gear hanging up to dry:



One of many gas stations (I hope those tanks are sealed)



This is US129 & US90, the "main drag" of our city. In retrospect, Live Oak had a flood in 1960 that I heard about. Now I realize why its a big deal- most of these businesses do not have flood insurance:





Here is a video of our 2006 Ford F-550 wading through some 3' water. We have been using it to rescue people trying to drive through this stuff. The water is coming up to the floorboards of our trucks. We just heard a military deuce and a half got stuck not too far away.





Wish me luck and everyone a good night.

 

Wow, Alex. Hat's off to you!

Stay safe!

If yer swimming in sewage, make sure yer current on all yer inoculations.


MGD

 

Good luck brother, stay safe out there

 

time to install a personal snorkel, maybe some floaties too

 

Watch out and be save out there.

 

Be safe out there!

It's always amazing what mother nature can do....

Watch out for those gators.....lots of reports of them being seen in the streets full of water.....snakes too!

 

I'm more inclined to worry aboot the little sneaky critters that tend to swim up yer butthole

MGD

 

If only we could have that water pumped up to the midwest. We need rain badly up here.

 

Just so happens that Fox News is reporting from Live Oak right now. They are saying that it's one of the hardest hit areas in this whole mess.

I hope your home is on high ground.

 

Wow! Good luck and stay safe!

 

Sucks. My parents live in Tampa, all the main streets in downtown were flooding. I lived there in 2004 when all the hurricanes came through in about 6 weeks time. Was glad i got rid of my lowered Trans Am and had my F150 at the time. So much water and nowhere for it to go. Saty safe out there bud!
My brother lives in High Springs about a mile from the Santa Fe river.. have not heard how he was doing..

 

Good luck brother and stay safe! Thank you for what you do!

 

Santa Fe is about to crest, there are flood warnings out for it. My GF lives a little under 5 miles from High Springs in Branford.

I live out in the country, about 7 miles from Live Oak. I passed so many news trucks it wasnt funny. Anyone know who Jim Cantore is? I almost ran him over. He was standing in the middle of 90 up to his waist in water while filming and I came barreling through there doing about 15 in 3' of water in the fire truck with lights going. I almost knocked him down with the wake my truck made

Today was bright and sunny. I slept on an air mattress at the station. Some water was receding and most people were trying to make it back to normal. The Salvation Army came and provided us with free food, and my buddy and I used an ambulance to go around to all the fire stations to deliver meals. Kind of like "Meals on Wheels". Moar pictures from today:

Should we go for it?



...

...



Yeah, we went for it Can't stop a Ford!

US129S of Live Oak going to McAlpin:







Crossing Lake Florida:













The roof of a Freightliner:



aaaannnd we have a Tropical Wave developing off Africa. Round 2, Live Oak?

 

Stay safe man.

Need some of that rain in Colorado right now

 

The used car market is gonna be 'FLOODED' with new vehicles.

CarFax is gonna get busy.........