‘I almost fainted’: Family canoes through street after floodwaters trap home

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray News) - Milton Woods slept peacefully Wednesday night, so he was shocked to wake up Thursday morning and find his family trapped at home. He opened his front door to see yards and vehicles on his street completely underwater.

The water rose to nearly 5 feet high on North Ridge Road on the south side of Tallahassee after storms knocked down trees and sent water surging through streets overnight. The Woods family was forced to use a canoe to leave the front porch that had become both their sanctuary and snare.

Woods said all four of their cars were engulfed in water, including the company vehicle he uses for work. His wife and two daughters said their community is known to struggle with flooding, but the father of two said the surges they saw Thursday are unprecedented.

“As soon as I came out and saw my car was underwater, I almost fainted ‘cause I couldn’t believe it, ‘cause it never did this before. It rained a lot but never did this before. Somebody was nice enough to bring us a boat so we can get to and from the front door to the road just to get out of the house,” said Woods.

But the damage extended far beyond Woods’s truck.

His best option to feed his family Thursday was to paddle along the flooded street. The water lapped up the walls of the Woods household, overtaking the family breaker box and plunging the family of four into darkness. Woods said with the lack of power, it’s only a matter of time before the food they have starts to spoil.

The community has attempted to rally in the wake of the floods, with neighbors offering each other food and candles as they wait for the waters to subside. For now, the Woods and everyone in the vicinity are waiting for more dry ground so they can figure out their next steps.

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