Hillsborough residents along Alafia River, Bullfrog Creek still battling floods after Debby

LITHIA, Fla. - It's a waiting game in eastern Hillsborough County as flooded-out residents wait for the water to subside after Debby passed through the Bay Area.

Homes along parts of the Alafia River and Bullfrog Creek are evacuated as the tide gets near record levels.

"We've just been watching it and stayed up until four in the morning to make sure that it didn't get in our house," said Amber Berg, who lives on Bullfrog Creek.

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As their cul-de-sac was flooded under several feet of water, neighbors had to rely on one another. With the help of kayaks and heavy vehicles, people, pets and crucial belongings were brought to safety, as the lingering effects of the storm stunned them.

"We haven't ever seen this before," said Berg. "Irma was way less water than this, so we weren't really prepared."

Dozens along Bullfrog Creek and the Alafia River, just to the north, have had to evacuate. Hillsborough Fire Rescue said they've used boats to get people out. Plant City and Wimauma have also seen evacuations.

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"It just goes to show it doesn't need to be a hurricane to hit or impact our area directly," said HCFR spokesperson Danny Alvarez.

High tide along the Alafia was expected at just before 4 p.m. Residents are waiting to see if the main driver of the floods is the tide, or that the river is still stuffed with water from Tropical Storm Debby, which seemed to sit over them forever.

"We're 20 feet down from the creek there," said Donna Garaja of Bullfrog Creek. "We should have never seen all this."

Anyone who is trapped in their home and in danger is asked to call 911.

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