Sumter County commissioners send woman to Georgia to restock sandbags amid shortage

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — Two Sumter County Commissioners said they paid a woman out of their own pockets to go to Tifton, Georgia, and pick up 1,000 sandbags to address a shortage as the Withlacoochee River continued to rise near Croom Wednesday.

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Residents estimate more than one dozen homes are underwater and many more are threatened. The river is not expected to crest until Friday.

“It’s ugly,” Ron Goetze, who refused to evacuate and has lived without power for a week, said. “They just said, ‘You need to leave.’ I said, ‘Where am I gonna go with six dogs?’”

Kayaks have become the main transportation in and out of flooded streets. Goetze showed off his – and gleefully said he grabbed it off an interstate several years ago after it fell off a truck.

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Working with high-water vehicles and airboats, power crews said they hoped to connect all dry homes to the grid by Wednesday night.

Commissioners Andy Bilardello and Jeff Bogue organized the sandbag replenishment. Bilardello said they planned to hand out 10 bags to each household threatened by the river flooding—and donate sand—at Fire Station 23 beginning at 9 a.m. Thursday.

“No county funds being expended on this, so just bear with us,” Bilardello said. “We’ll do what we can for the residents and hopefully we’ll make a difference.”

Read: Volusia County offers sandbags as river flooding continues in wake of Hurricane Milton

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Hurricane Milton recovery GROVE CITY, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 10: A boat can be seen resting on the ground through a blown out garage wall in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in Grove City, Florida. Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in the Siesta Key area. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images) (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

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