Cleanup Continues After Severe Flooding in St. Petersburg, Florida
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**ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. ** - It only took about an hour for two feet of water to flood Gary Dykens’ home of more than 25 years last Wednesday night in St. Pete. "It was seeping all through the doors, even through the sliding glass door, seeping under the tub," Dykens said.
"Everywhere there was an orifice it was coming from. The ground was so saturated. So, it doesn't take long for them when you get it up above the tub level. The toilet, the tub overflowed. You got sewage in the house, and so, the whole house has to be gutted.
" He’s not alone. Neighbors a few houses down said they climbed through a window to escape, because they didn’t want to let more water into the house through the front door. Several neighbors on Fourth Avenue North and 58th Street North lost almost everything, like Dykens. Their belongings sat on the curb, their lives lining the street Tuesday. "The dog is swimming around the house, and it was really crazy," Dykens said.
City leaders said the rush hour rainfa...