'They're pretty devastated:' Several Sarasota area neighborhoods remain underwater after Debby

SARASOTA, Fla. - Parts of Sarasota and Manatee counties were still underwater Wednesday night from the heavy rain brought by Debby. In the Palmer Lake neighborhood, cars were submerged and roads were impassible. Next door in the Laurel Meadows neighborhood, many homes were still unreachable.

Kelly Rafter has lived here in the Palmer Lake subdivision in Sarasota for six years. She says she's never seen it like this.

"To see all of this happen, yeah I won't ever take any storm for granted again. There's no way," Rafter said.

The neighborhood is surrounded by man-made lakes. In the days since the storm, water has continued rising steadily, flooding car engines and making roads look like ponds.

"We were just praying every day we would go down, down, down and it wasn't. It just kept rising. And then finally we woke up this morning and it went down like just barely. And we're watching on our back step because that was the best indicator that we could see. And yeah, and finally it started going down today," Rafter said.

READ: State Senator Joe Gruters calls for investigation, financial help following Sarasota County flooding

Thankfully, Palmer's air conditioner was spared just inches from floodwaters. Meanwhile, down the street, cars are damaged and some garages are flooded, but Palmer Lake residents say they're thinking most about their friends in the neighboring subdivision of Laurel Meadows.

Wednesday, vehicles still weren't able to access that area, but we're told rescue crews are in the midst of helping people in Laurel Meadows get to dry ground.

"They're this high. Some of them are even this high," Rafter said, holding her hand up to her forehead. "So they're pretty devastated back here. And I think that's what this rescue is all about is going to help those people."

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