Okeechobee County said it is opening flood relief distribution on Wednesday with tarps, cleaning buckets and water for residents.
WATCH REPORT BELOW:
Significant flooding impacts roads, neighborhoods in OkeechobeeThe distribution will be held at the Agri-Civic Center, located at 4601 State Rd. 710 E., from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., while supplies last.
Residents picking up supplies should enter the site via State Road 710 only, the county said.
The distribution comes after historic rainfall and widespread flooding prompted school closures.
Justin Hazellief, public safety director and fire chief for the county, told WPTV's Tyler Hatfield the area experienced a 1-in-200-year rainfall event, receiving around 9 to 10 inches of rain in just six hours on Sunday.
"This is by far in my 25 years this is the worst that I've seen," Hazellief said. "Mother nature has a mind of her own, and whenever she brings that amount of rain in that short of time, there's no infrastructure anywhere that would be able to handle that amount of water and not have some consequences."
The widespread flooding Sunday prompted school closures, shelter openings and a state of emergency declaration in Okeechobee County.
Okeechobee County Public Schools will reopen on Wednesday after closing Tuesday due to the flooding and severe weather in the region.
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