Flooding update in Punta Gorda following Idalia

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Many took to the streets of Punta Gorda to go fishing, swimming, and tubing just hours after Hurricane Idalia's landfall.

Making the best of the day was a task that started early for David Mazzie and his friends.

"My buddies asked me if I wanted to drive around and help some people, next thing you know... we were having some fun," Mazzie said.

While the flooding turned into fun for him and his friends, that isn't the case for all in Punta Gorda.

"My tire went flat, I parked it up over here, I went home to get some tires, and when I came back it was raining so hard I couldn't see, so I came back the next morning and this is what happened," resident Jorden Almond said.

WFTX

As Fox 4 crews spent the hours after the storm driving around Charlotte County, a lot of localized flooding could be seen, totaling more than a foot of rainfall in the streets and debris from intense wind gusts overnight.

Some homeowners with flooding in their yards said this was worse than what they saw from Hurricane Ian.