Evacuations are underway in Dodge County as rivers can’t keep up with heavy rain and melting snow.
Dozens of residents had to be rescued on Friday from homes and apartments in Columbus along the Crawfish River.
“They don’t know how fast it’s going to keep flowing and how high it’s going to be, so they wanted to get as many people evacuated as they could,” said Amber Fakes.
Fakes and her three boys are just a few of many who had to be retrieved from their homes in a Dodge County Humvee.
“It’s a little sad, a little scary,” she said. “My husband is actually staying there with the dog tonight just to make sure he’s good and safe.”
Several streets and a bridge near the Crawfish River are underwater and emergency managers said the utility company was preparing to shut off power in impacted portions of the city.
Meanwhile, displaced residents in need of shelter are encouraged to visit the city’s community center.
The Fakes are packed to stay with family.
“We have the river in the back (of our house) and a river in the front,” Fakes said. “We actually found there’s a whole lake forming in the yard next to us.”
Erin Branton voluntarily evacuated her apartment Thursday night.
“Messy, dangerous, it’s a little scary,” she said.
Branton went back into the flood zone Friday afternoon to rescue pets she left behind and to see what needs to be replaced.
“You don’t know what kind of damage you’re coming back to with replacing furniture or what items might not be able to be there,” Branton said.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department doesn’t expect the river to crest until noon on Saturday.
