- September 10, 2024
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Going through their soaked belongings Aug. 7 with her family members, Summerfield Bluffs' Angela Abrams was overwhelmed.
She was trying to determine what could be salvaged and what needed to be trashed following Hurricane Debby.
Abrams spread the family photos she treasured on a table in her kitchen and on top of a few bins in her garage, hoping the heat would dry them.
She held back tears, knowing many of those photos might be ruined after the Braden River engulfed her home Aug. 5.
Abrams and her family waded through waist-deep water Aug. 6 to try to save some of their belongings.
It wasn't until that night the flood water started to recede from Rivers Bluff Circle.
They received a better idea of the damages when they went back to their home Aug. 7. Abrams said it was heartbreaking.
"I knew I had lost everything," Abrams said.
Then the hard work began.
Throughout the day on Aug. 7, the Abrams family had friends coming in and out of the home, helping them determine what could be saved and packed up.
"I've lived here 13 years and it was like I had 24 hours to pack," she said.
The family lost three vehicles in the flood and all of their furniture. In the corner of the dining area were the remnants of 2-year-old Nora Abrams' play kitchen set and other toys.
The driveway was packed with trash bags filled with disposed belongings. Stuffed animals were scattered through the pile.
Abrams' 13-year-old daughter Leah Abrams sat her yearbooks on one of the ruined cars to dry out. Her personal headshot was preserved in her kindergarten yearbook, but the pages stuck together like glue and her classmates' faces were unrecognizable.
Making matters worse, Abrams and her husband, Jody Abrams, were swiftly having to make decisions on companies to restore their home while dealing with their insurance company.
Angela Abrams said the longer they took to make decisions on who to hire, the lower on the list they would be to receive services.
"(Companies) were knocking on the door and we don't know what to do," Angela Abrams said. "Unless you've been through this, I don't think you have any idea of what to do. There's a lot of people out here who aren't honest. I hope I made the right decision on who I hired."
She said she was grateful they had flood insurance, although their home is not in a flood zone, but they still would have to pay out-of-pocket immediately to have work start on their home.
"If I'm back home by Christmas, I'll be lucky," Angela Abrams said.
Manatee County has reported 308 homes were damaged by rains from Debby, but that number could rise pending reports from the residents. Initial damage estimates by Manatee County are at $55 million in residential damages and $100,000 in commercial damages.
Outside Nicole Eveloff's home in River Club Aug. 8, there were piles of damaged furniture and belongings on the driveway.
"Every piece of furniture in the home is trash," Eveloff said.
Inside the home, the drywall already was gutted in areas.
She had to throw away the books she read to her children every night when they were little.
She had family photos drying out on her back porch.
Eveloff said she's been so busy trying to pack and dispose of damaged belongings, that she hasn't been able to process all her family has experienced.
She said it could be four to five months before the home is restored and her family can move back.
For families like the Abrams and the Eveloffs, everything changed quickly.
Angela Abrams was at home when her husband called to say he saw the Braden River spilling over into their backyard. Jody Abrams, who was at work, had seen the flooding on their home security cameras.
Angela Abrams and Leah Abrams began rushing around the home trying to put their belongings on higher ground while also collecting important documents before they attempted to escape the water pouring into their home.
Neighbors were coming together to make sandbags out of trash bags and mulch. They didn't help.
The water was coming too fast.
In the next two hours, with water pouring into the house, Angela Abrams tried to drive out of their driveway in her Chevrolet Suburban. There was no way.
"Our street turned into a river," Leah Abrams said.
Jody Abrams rushed home, parking on Tumbleweed Trail. He waded through waist-high waters to get to his family.
Luckily, the family had a canoe. Jody Abrams used the canoe to get Nora Abrams and Leah Abrams to safety.
"I was wondering if I would ever see my house again," Leah Abrams said.
East Manatee Fire Rescue arrived at Summerfield Bluffs to rescue dozens of residents who were stranded in their homes.
"It had to be the scariest day of my entire life," Angela Abrams said.
Angela Abrams said in the 13 years she's lived in Summerfield Bluffs, she's only seen the Braden River overflow once.
Eveloff has lived in River Club for five years and has never seen the flooding that occurred during Hurricane Debby.
"We've had major rains before, and it's never gotten close to the house," she said.
She slept in until about 10 a.m. Aug. 5 to see the Braden River flooding the two ponds in her backyard. Usually only one pond shows signs of flooding during heavy storms, she said.
By noon, water overtook her street and was approaching her front porch.
No matter how many towels, sheets and other linens her family put by the lanai doors, the water was too strong.
By 12:50 p.m., water was entering the home.
Eveloff said the fire department had to evacuate them from the home.
When asked why Eveloff didn't leave earlier, she said her family thought they could handle the water.
"You think you could just keep putting towels down and it's going to be OK," she said. "Then you realize there's a current. You just get to a point where you're like, 'There's nothing else we can do.'"
Standing outside, looking at a line of dirt on her home, she could see the water was at least 2 feet high.
Angela Abrams and Eveloff both said their communities rallied around them.
Neighbors were helping neighbors in any way.
Eveloff said Kristy Cestero and Joe Cestero, the owners of Flood Pros USA and River Club residents, sprang into action, helping neighbors clear water from their homes.
"They're angels," Eveloff said of the Cesteros. "The process (of cleaning) has been a lot simpler because of them. We were just blessed."
By the time Eveloff returned to her home midday Aug. 6, work already had started on her home thanks to the Flood Pros, she said.
Leah Abrams' teammates from the Tsunami Swim Team collected bins and packing materials for the family.
Both Abrams and Eveloff said friends of theirs have offered to allow them to move into homes they have in the area.
Leah Abrams said her fellow middle schoolers were reaching out asking how they could help.
"It shows there's people who actually care about you and love you, and sometimes it's hard for you to realize that," Leah Abrams said. "This whole thing has kind of been an eye opener for us that it shows there are people in our community who really do love us."
Even after the experience, both Eveloff and Angela Abrams guaranteed they would return to their homes and continue to live in their neighborhoods.
"I love this neighborhood," Abrams said. "I love this community. I love my neighbors. This is my home,. I intend to live here until I die."
