ZOLFO SPRINGS, Fla. — The obstacles were plenty — submerged cars, floating propane tanks, and a ripping current.
But Friday morning, Sgt. Randy Hart and Deputy Robert Mitchell had all the motivation they needed as they carefully guided their boat through a now-underwater RV park off U.S. 17 near Zolfo Springs.
Hart and Mitchell are two members of a team of Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputies that's helping the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office search for and rescue survivors along the Peace River basin.
The river reached a record high water level between Thursday night and Friday morning.
“Sheriff’s Office! Call out!” Hart shouted, as he knocked on the door of a partially submerged and overturned motorhome while Mitchell expertly positioned the boat alongside the camper. “Sheriff’s Office!”
The deputies did not find anyone who needed to be rescued at the RV park, but so far, 65 people have been rescued by first responders from the high water in Hardee County.
There, strong winds from Hurricane Ian left their mark, but the rain is having the most impact.
The swollen Peace River — now slowly subsiding — reached a record 27.24 feet at Zolfo Springs, which is considered a "major flood." Further downstream, at Arcadia in DeSoto County, the river level broke a record there too and is also at a "major" flood stage.
In Hardee County, homes in multiple communities along the river are surrounded on all four sides by water. Sheriff Vent Crawford said he’s never seen anything like it.
“I'm a full-time resident for 59 years here in Hardee County, and really and truly, it's probably today at a historical high, if not the highest ever,” he said.
According to Vent, so far, rescuers have not confirmed any loss of life because of the river flooding. However, the impact of the flooding won’t fully be realized until the river level drops significantly, which is projected to take days.
The flooding has also impacted the area’s infrastructure and access to neighboring counties. The SR-64 bridge over the Peace River, just west of Zolfo Springs and U.S. 17, was washed out Thursday evening.
According to Capt. David Drake with the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper was crossing the bridge when it collapsed. According to Drake, the trooper was not injured but had to swim through swift water, in the dark, to reach safety. The patrol car was lost to the raging Peace River.
Drake estimates that the county and its search and rescue partners — like Pinellas County — have made significant headway and now only have a few more homes to check.
According to data from the National Weather Service, Zolfo Springs, the river should recede to a “minor” flood stage by next Tuesday. According to the same data, the Peace River in Arcadia will still be within a “major” flood stage at that time.
