PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Multiple roads were flooded in Port St. Lucie on Thursday after storms dumped heavy rain across the Treasure Coast, causing a school bus to get stuck in the floodwaters.
The school bus became stuck in a ditch at the intersection of California Boulevard at Beard Street.
St. Lucie County Public Schools spokeswoman Lydia Martin said all students and the bus driver are safe.
Another bus was sent to the area to finish the route and took students safely home.
Luis Decarmine, a seventh-grade student at Oak Hammock, could not believe the flooding.
“I’d never think that this would happen," stated Decarmine. "When it heavy rains it just floods a little bit of the lake, but I never thought it was up to knees high.”
He said his friends who take the bus were on edge about the severe weather.
“I was texting them and they were like, 'Yeah it’s really bad," Decarmine said. "The bus driver is freaking out but thankfully most of them are OK.”
PORT ST LUCIE: Drivers can expect flooded roadways for the next couple of hours. PSLPD officers are on Evans Ave and Airoso Blvd. They have received at least 15 calls regarding disabled vehicles in flooded waters. pic.twitter.com/5ywzhFxwkt
— Zitlali Solache (@zitlalisolache) September 19, 2024
WATCH: WPTV speaks to drivers stuck in floodwaters at California, Savona boulevards
Police said they are saw flooding at the following locations Thursday:
- Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Southwest Tunis
- Southwest Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Southwest Aviation
- Southwest Columbia and Southwest Fairgreen
- Southwest Capeador and Southwest California Boulevard (near Savona Boulevard)
- Southwest Bargello Avenue and Southwest Martin
Police spokesman Dominick Mesiti said some of those locations had disabled vehicles that tried to drive through standing water.
There were various roadways that had some flooding throughout the city.
"We currently have 15 calls holding regarding flooding and or disabled vehicles in flooded waters," Mesiti said Thursday afternoon.
Some areas saw about 2 to 4 inches of rain in about an hour.
WPTV reporter Zitlali Solache spoke with Yanira Palacios, a new resident of Port St. Lucie, who was left stranded on Evans Avenue.
"There was a lot of flooding," Palacios said. "It was so packed with water. It was just horrible and especially for low cars that was horrible.”
Palacios' vehicle was towed away following the rainfall.
"It's stressful," Palacios said. "I’m having to see my options of getting a new car possibly."
The WPTV First Alert Weather team said many areas are saturated after experiencing days of rain, contributing to the flood problems.
Areas of southern Palm Beach County also experienced heavy rain Thursday afternoon, but there have been no reports of water rescues by officials.
The National Weather Service said a gauge west of Boca Raton picked up roughly 3.62 inches of rainfall in about an hour.
