Neighborhoods in Edgewater clean up from Hurricane Irma storm surge

Surge floods many homes

EDGEWATER, Fla. – People in neighborhoods in the Edgewater area were seen Tuesday cleaning up after experiencing Hurricane Irma's strong storm surge.

Dan Zody showed News 6 his torn-off roof, pieces of dock pilings and even parts of a floating dock.

"It's a combo platter," he said. "Whatever could float is in my front yard. It was the storm surge that pushed everything in."

It also flooded many neighborhoods in Edgewater. Zody said his mobile home has survived hurricanes since the 1970s, but it's now saturated with rainwater that crept in through the roof.

Zody is not the only one.

"We tried to save some furniture by putting it up on the blocks, and the blocks actually got completely covered by water," said Greg Wheeler, who lives on the other side of U.S. 1, off Palmetto Street.

He said his home got flooded due to the storm surge from the overflowing ditch.

"I actually took a flashlight and looked down at the water and said, 'Yep, the tide is still coming in,'" he said.

It's not just the flooding that Wheeler was concerned about, but the influx of water moccasins coming from the nearby canal.

"I'm carrying a shovel in one hand and a flashlight in the other, trying to watch out for snakes swimming around," he said.

Residents, now without power, are working around the clock to dry out and clean up. Wheeler said he isn't moving any time soon.

"We're all Floridians," he said. "We love it. Why go anywhere? We'll just fight the storm."


About the Author:

Loren Korn is a native Texan who joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2014. She was born and raised in Houston and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Journalism.

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