VENICE — Roughly 30 people were rescued from flooded homes Thursday by the Venice Police Department, which was still aiding people Friday.
Most of the people being rescued were in Evacuation Area “A,” which was predicted to flood. Venice Police had gone through the area, urging people to leave as Hurricane Helene approached.
Then Thursday, police officers and others rescued many of those same residents.
“Once the winds reach 45 mph, we can’t come get you,” city spokesperson Lorraine Anderson said Friday. “A lot of our residents are older, though. They want to stay put.”
Helene destroyed Humphris Park and the South Jetty, with the city social media page calling the damage “catastrophic.”
“The Jetty is sobering,” she said, adding the Jetty Jacks building is leaning on its side.
“I couldn’t even characterize to you how long it’s going to take (to repair the jetty),” Anderson said. “The jetty walkway was pounded for hours.”
One of the big problems that is taking up the time of police officers is onlookers, Anderson said.