Family walks hours through flooding water in DeSoto County to get home

The Peace River in DeSoto County is flooded turning a five-minute drive into an hour-long boat ride.

The water is so deep people who live there can’t even get to their homes.

In a water-logged neighborhood, a boat is better than a car but boats can’t just go anywhere.

Dylan Taylor, DeSoto County resident said, “Some spots we can you know, we can take the boat and in some spots we got to get out and pull the boat because it’s like ankle deep but that’s, that’s a good stretch just walking it.”

Since Sunday the couple has stayed at Dylan’s grandmother’s house, but every day they continued to make the trek back to save a very tiny furry family member.

Harleigh Ingram, DeSoto County said, “I have my little hamster cage on the boat with us that I’m going to get him.”

The journey took an hour and a half from the start to finish but in the end, the couple finally got Hank the hamster out of the house.

“I want him with me just in case,” Ingram said.

The water’s high but it could get worse. That’s why Ingram and Taylor went through the flood waters to save Hank.

“Ehh about once a year this normally happens but normally doesn’t get this bad,” Taylor said.

The next thing on the rise is fear.

“That’s what scares me the most right now is this whole weather thing,” Ingram said.

WINK News Chief Meteorologist Matt Devitt is tracking a system in the tropics that just might target us in Southwest Florida.

And tropical storms or hurricanes bring lots and lots of rain. The last thing people living along the Peace River need.