Residents at Forest Creek Apartments forced out by flooding

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - A number of residents were evacuated from Forest Creek Apartments, where heavy rains on Saturday flooded the complex.

The water level has since receded and only minor pools of water remain today, however damage to apartment units was severe.

 Residents returned to the complex looking to salvage what valuables they could.

“All my stuff. This is everything I have,” said Karen Robinson, whose home was flooded in the storm. “I have been crying the whole weekend.”

Knee deep floodwaters made its way inside her first floor unit, ruining clothes and furniture.

Robinson said she saw the water take over her living room in less than 15 minutes.

She said she decided to run to safety.

“A puddle of water just came and formed all in my living room and all in my house,” remembered Robinson. “After that I just slammed the door as hard as I could, locked it and ran away.”

Many residents, like Robinson, chose to ride out the stormy weather before they realized the water was too much to handle.

"We had to hold the baby over our heads and go through the water that was up to our chest," said another resident, Taylor Jones.

Jones said the water level rose from the floor to her waist in an hour.

Her car, parked nearby, became submerged.

"I lost my baby ... I cried, I mean this is my freedom," said Jones.

The Escambia County Fire Rescue is credited with evacuating residents from the complex by boat.

While the American Red Cross of Northwest Florida handed out food to families at the 200-unit complex. The Red Cross says they are about $40,000 into this operation and could be here for a few weeks.

They have asked the public for donations.

In the back they probably had about 12 to 14-inches of water in the roadways, the apartments back there saw somewhere between two-feet and thirty inches of water," said John Prince, Red Cross Mass Care Coordinator.

He said it was a real team effort to help these residents.

"And now were moving more in to the recovery phase where we come out with the clean up kits and we'll have teams on down the week for other things," said Prince.

One Forest Creek resident volunteered to work as a community liaison, connecting families with needs to the Red Cross for solutions.

"I just have a heart for people, I've been there," said Laura Merritt.

Merritt said the complex managers are trying to fix some apartments and move people to different units.

"If not they're going to try and get them to another apartment complex, but right now nobody is being put out were trying to actually get them somewhere to stay," said Merritt.

For more information and how to donate to the Northwest Florida Red Cross, click here.