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Worried Altamonte Springs residents say homes surrounded by water after Hurricane Milton

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Published  October 14, 2024 7:45pm EDT
Hurricane Milton
FOX 35 Orlando

Stream FOX 35 News

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. - Stephany Estrada’s house has the Little Wekiva River right behind it. Before Hurricane Milton struck, the property was clean and dry. Now, it's a different story. The front and back yards have been swamped since the river overflowed its banks. 

Estrada took a FOX 35 News crew through the garage and showed us how high the water had reached in the past. 

"Thank God it wasn't as high as it was the last time," she said, "when Hurricane Ian hit."

So far, Milton had been kinder to Estrada and the six relatives with whom she lives. Estrada took us inside for a look around. 

Stephany Estrada’s house has the Little Wekiva River right behind it. Before Hurricane Milton struck, the property was clean and dry. Now, its a different story. 

"We prepared more this time than last time. Last time everything got flooded," she said.

This time, everything was off the ground. Furniture was mounted on metal chairs or cinder blocks, or up on the counters. 

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"Everything was pretty much picked up off the ground," she said,."[it took] at least two days, yeah. Once we heard it was going to hit we started going for sandbags and everything, and trying to see how we were going to do everything to prep."

The family all left on Wednesday. For now, they’ve been staying with an uncle in Apopka and waiting for the water to roll back. Estrada said Hurricane Ian was worse, with water flooding inside the house. 

"When we came back to check, it was up to here. Everything was wet. We threw everything out."

Her home is one of dozens along the river, now surrounded by floodwaters. People have been canoeing up and down the streets. Estrada said this time, they were ready. 

"We started prepping and thinking what we should do... like we didn't do the last time, because we didn't know it was going to get as bad."

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