HUTCHINSON ISLAND, Fla. — A handful of homes were flooded after storms on Monday night in a community called Nettles Island located on Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County near Martin County.
The storm created two tornadoes, which haven't caused any injuries and minor damage per Martin County Fire Rescue. Thousands of people in Martin County and St. Lucie County lost power as the storm dumped inches of rain over a short period flooding streets and stalling cars.
Elise Wismer said the flooded roads caused her commute from work to home to double, from about 30 minutes to about an hour. She described the situation as a "wet mess" and thought her home would flood due to the rain.
She was correct. WPTV's Ethan Stein watched as floodwater, which was about a foot deep, entered her family's garage.
Bill Wismer, her father, said the rain pushed trash out of in-ground trash cans and clogged nearby drains. He said he's left picking the trash up to save his home.
“I'm paying a condo fee and we’re doing the work when I should be watching a football game," Wismer said. "Maintenance should be doing this.”
Mary Curtin, who lives a block away from Wismer, said she feels lucky her home has no damage. Her drainage system didn't get clogged, but she said it was a close call as the water got high enough to enter her yard.
"We were standing here like 'whoo, thank goodness,' Curtin said. "I feel bad for the people down the block.”
Other roads around Stuart, Jensen Beach and Hutchinson Island flooded. However, those floods receded about four hours after the storm on Monday night.
