‘Either swim or drown:’ Kissimmee woman flees with 72-year-old mother as Hurricane Ian floods home

Several people seen leaving their homes as the water made its way inside

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Hurricane Ian hammered Central Florida with rain prompting flash flood warnings across the area and bringing severe flooding to portions of Kissimmee.

News 6 reporter Louis Bolden found high waters covering the road on Orange Blossom Trail between Donegan Street and U.S. 192.

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Video from the area appears to show at least one car submerged in the road. A group of good samaritans was seen directing traffic away from the flooding roadway.

Bolden spoke with a woman, April, who said she had to leave her home with her 72-year-old mother through a window as it flooded.

“Probably one of the worst hurricanes I’ve ever experienced in my life,” she said. “I’ve had a few, but I’m shocked.”

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She said the water began to rise in her home around 10 p.m. on Wednesday “and it just rapidly did it within an hour.”

“It would like slowly started creeping in I thought we could do it, we can handle this and the next thing you know it just kept creeping up,” she said. She said she had to swim halfway down the street to get to safety.

April said it got to the point where it was “either swim or drown.”

He encountered several people who said they had to leave their homes as the water was making its way inside. One woman said a home on Poinciana Circle was being inundated with water and a person was trapped on their porch. News 6 contacted 911 in an effort to get help for that person.

Bolden also encountered a family trudging through the high water to escape the flooding. A man was seen carrying a child on his shoulders.

Osceola County remains under a flash flood warning through at least 6:45 a.m. as of this report. The county is forecast to receive between 6 and 10 inches of rain.

Ian wreaked havoc on much of Southwest and Central Florida, hitting the state as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained wind speeds topping 150 mph.

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About the Author:

Thomas Mates is a digital storyteller for News 6 and ClickOrlando.com. He also produces the podcast Florida Foodie. Thomas is originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania and worked in Portland, Oregon before moving to Central Florida in August 2018. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Journalism in 2010.