Plant City mobile home community devastated in wake of Hurricane Milton

Plant City residents struggle after Milton damage

Jordan Bowen reports

PLANT CITY, Fla. - You didn't have to live along the coast to see damage from Hurricane Milton. The storm dumped so much water across the Bay Area that communities that don't normally flood saw high water seep into their streets and homes.

Now that it has receded in some communities, the cleanup begins.

For residents in the Oaks mobile home park in Plant City, the flash flooding was the scariest part and what did the most damage. Some homes were spared, but others were flooded. Residents who've lived there for years said it's unlike anything they've ever seen.

READ: Rescue at flooded Plant City mobile home park leads to emotional reunion between mother and son

Daphne Barber, who has lived in the community for years, is now working with her insurance companies to replace her car and make repairs to her home. She said she just got power back there Monday morning.

"I'm trying to go through and see what I can salvage, but that's all the carpet. We had to rip the carpet out," Barber said.

She said late Wednesday night she was sitting in her home when she got a flash flooding warning. Within minutes, the water started coming in through the base boards and fast.

Courtesy: Daphne Barber.

"It was a lot of water in a short amount of time. You ain't stopping it. You know. You are not stopping it," Barber said.

MORE: Hurricane Milton: Plant City facing 'unprecedented' flooding, rescues

Several homes got water inside, forcing many people, like Barber, to rip up their carpet and baseboards and try to see what they can salvage. Like many neighbors, her car was destroyed.

The Oaks mobile home park is surrounded by several ponds that do have alligators. Some of them were seen swimming around the neighborhood.

"There was a tree limb by a sign. A gator kind of rose up out of the water right there by it," said Norman Ohlsson, a resident in the community. "About a six-foot gator. I said that was enough of that back out of the water. I kind of waited a little bit as kayaker got close and scared it away."

In Barber's backyard, the water was even higher. She said it got above her A/C unit.

READ: Bay Area reservoir full after Tampa sees more than 77 inches of rain this year

So far, Barber said she's cleaned out most of the water damaged debris and is now waiting for it to be picked up as she begins repairs on her home.

"We got to replace the A/C. This floor is probably going to have to come up, because it's buckling now. It's not but two years old. The whole cul-de-sac right here has just about lost their vehicles if they left them here," Barber said.

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