Parts of Kissimmee remain underwater, St. Cloud issues voluntary evacuation order as waters rise

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The city of St. Cloud is asking residents to leave their homes because of rising floodwaters and issued a voluntary evacuation order for Blackberry Creek and Pemberly Pines on Sunday morning.

In Shingle Creek, floodwaters remain at high levels and are not expected to go down anytime soon.

Nearly 200 people and 40 pets were evacuated from the Kissimmee area.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Antonio Naba decided to stay and ride the storm out.

“My house is two floors but we’re at the end of the cul-de-sac.” Naba said.

Naba told Channel 9 that he was worried the floodwaters would get higher but it just stayed still.

Read: Orlando city officials ask residents to limit water usage following sewer issues

Naba said he is worried about the floodwater and that he can only get out of his home by walking through it – it’s too deep for him to drive.

Another resident, Maynard Saddler, was back home checking on the neighborhood Sunday morning after evacuating Saturday night.

“The longer the water stays where it is, the more dangerous this situation can become,” Saddler said.

Read: Biden will tour Florida, Puerto Rico to assess hurricane damage

Saddler told Channel 9 that he expected to see pumps or vacuum trucks to remove the floodwaters.

Channel 9 reached out to the City of Kissimmee regarding the pumps and when people living here can expect to have floodwaters removed.

Officials told Channel 9 that the floodwaters are starting to drain out into other areas and the high demand for pumps has caused a delay in getting them here.

Read: Elderly woman, dog die in early morning fire, Seminole County firefighters say

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2022 Cox Media Group