State wildlife officers have evacuated nearly 250 residents across Florida’s east coast after a stalled weather front deposited historic levels of rainfall across Brevard and St. Lucie counties, according to state officials.
In Brevard County, where certain areas recorded close to 23 inches of rainfall, roads became impassable and rising waters left residents confined to their homes. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission deployed 63 officers to reinforce local response teams that had been operating in the area since November 2.
Response crews navigated the floodwaters using nine side-by-side utility vehicles, seven airboats, and two shallow-water vessels. Officers conducted more than 56 rescues and responded to over 38 calls for service on November 3 alone.
Further south in St. Lucie County, the agency dispatched 30 officers equipped with drones, swamp buggies, airboats, and shallow-water craft. Responders in that region evacuated more than 190 individuals and addressed over 200 calls for assistance.
FWC officials confirmed that crews will remain on deployment with specialized equipment to support stranded residents, local law enforcement, and emergency management teams until conditions show meaningful improvement.
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