‘Sleeping on the streets’: Clearwater residents stunned by flooding

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) — Milton swept through a Clearwater apartment complex, forcing hundreds of families from their homes.

Many of those driven out by rising floodwaters said they're left with no place to go.

Clearwater police said this was the most significant water rescue operation in Pinellas County history.

"We began to realize it was about 5 feet deep all around the building," Thomas Fornash said.

After Hurricane Milton made landfall, residents at The Standard apartment complex are struggling with no place to go.

"We panicked because it was horrible. We're actually still sleeping on the streets today," Jocelyn Diaz said in a Spanish interview that was translated to English. "My friend is sleeping with her 5-year-old child on the streets. I'm sleeping with my two children on the streets. It's horrible and we have no answer, and we have nowhere to live."

Diaz told News Channel 8 she does not live in an evacuation zone, but she said her building saw at least 6 feet of rainfall flooding.

"Our kids keep saying 'mom, we are hungry, mom where can we lay down? Mom, I want a bed.' It's horrible. We are literally on the street," Diaz said.

"The main problem is, when you get 14 inches of rain, there is no place for it to go, this isn't a huge surprise. The same thing happened when Debby came through just not the same extent," Fornash said.

More than 500 residents were rescued from their inundated homes, and the Pinellas County community has stepped in to donate to help.

"Thank you for your willingness to support. Obviously it is a huge outpouring of support, at this time, it is best supported at the shelters and at the places designated for folks to be safe and sound tonight," executive director of the Mattie Williams Neighborhood Family Center David Hale said.

County officials said hurricane shelters are open, and the American Red Cross was on site for help. But residents said they are worried about the unforeseeable future.