As Hurricane Ian continues to pound Florida’s Gulf Coast with hard rain, dangerous storm surge and winds up to 150 miles per hour, people are doing what they can to help others in need.
A man near Bonita Beach was captured on camera rescuing a cat from the top of an air conditioning unit. The man, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, traipses over the rising water and climbs up to gently scoop the animal into his arms before stepping down while the cat clings to his shoulder as he leads it to safety.
“What a good dude,” someone commented on Twitter. “I am not a cat person but I definitely would have helped out also. Poor little fella glad he/she is safe now.”
“He’s so kind and so gentle with the cat ❤️ always look for the helpers,” another person wrote.
The severe weather from the Category 4 storm has prevented other rescue efforts in the state for people who chose to not to evacuate.
“The minute that the winds subside to below 45 miles an hour our crews are going to be responding out there clearing the roads to make sure that our first responders can get to those individuals that are trapped in their homes and in their vehicles,” Cape Coral City Manager Rob Hernandez told TODAY.
People are doing what they can to help and have even come from out of state to lend a hand.
“We had all these power workers, these line workers from all these different states. I saw them from Texas, Louisiana,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a press conference.
The Coast Guard has also put together a team of ships to help rescue missions offshore, while New York’s National Guard has also sent a pair of helicopters and a group of soldiers to help with the rescue mission.
🦩🌀We’re hunkered down! Our animals are safe w/staff on site to see them through the storm.
The flamingos are having a hurricane party in the bathroom; eating, drinking, & dancing. 😉
Stay safe out there! pic.twitter.com/ejCuuRUdma
— SunkenGardens (@SunkenGardens) September 28, 2022
On the ground, firefighters in Naples worked together to lead a woman out of hazardous flood waters, while firefighters used jet skis to move around and staff at Sunken Gardens botanical garden in St. Petersburg gathered flamingoes in a restroom to keep them out of harm’s way.
“We’re hunkered down! Our animals are safe w/staff on site to see them through the storm,” the garden wrote on Twitter. “The flamingos are having a hurricane party in the bathroom; eating, drinking, & dancing. Stay safe out there!”
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
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