Residents relive flooding in Pensacola

95-year-old woman saved from floods

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Channel 4 went to Pensacola on Wednesday after the area was pummeled by rains and winds, leaving 26 counties in Florida under a state of emergency.

Members of the community were reliving the horror of the flood Wednesday and dealing with the loss of their property.

The water had receded Wednesday night but canoes were still out in neighborhoods. The boats were used by residents who tried to save their neighbors from flood waters.

Cambre Lee told Channel 4 that she didn't have a canoe and almost lost her life, saving someone she didn't even know.

"The current pulled us down, that's when I found the lady in the fetal position on top of her car," said Lee.

Lee and some friends live in a neighborhood nearby. Lee and her neighbor's cars were stranded by flood waters as high as 5 or 6 feet in some places.

Lee told Channel 4 about how she found one woman in her garage as the flood waters were rising.

"She's about 95 years old, fetal position on her car. Oh! Shaking, shaking. Actually looked at me, said, ‘Is this how it ends?' and that's when I lost it, it was devastating," said Lee.

"There was about five people trying to bring her across the street. They got swept away a little bit. Yelling, screaming, we went out there," said Don Douglas.

Douglas and Joe Charron waded into the water and gave the entire group the push, or pull, required to save all of them.

"They were hand in hand, they just needed another couple people to drag them out. Yep," said Douglas.

"It's crazy how a community comes together, because we had four of us trying to carry one woman, get her to dry land," said Lee.


About the Authors

Kent Justice co-anchors News4Jax's 5 p.m., 10 and 11 p.m. newscasts weeknights and reports on government and politics. He also hosts "This Week in Jacksonville," Channel 4's hot topics and politics public affairs show each Sunday morning at 9 a.m.

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