Many people were rescued in northwest Lakeland after historic flooding caused by Hurricane Milton

LAKELAND, Fla. – Parts of Lakeland experienced severe flooding after Hurricane Milton hit the area.

Heavy rain has caused historic flooding in northwest Lakeland.

“It’s usually a low-lying area, but since I’ve been with the sheriff’s office, we’ve never seen anything like this. The people we talked to had never seen anything like this,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

What was supposed to be dry land now looks more like a body of water.

“There are entire lakes where cow pastures used to be,” Judd said.

Flood waters are so high that they have crept into homes, leaving many people homeless. Some people in the area are farmers, and now their animals and livelihoods have been flooded.

“This is a very difficult time for this community. “Understand that people have worked their entire lives to have these houses or these little ranch houses and now it is completely underwater,” Judd said.

This part of Lakeland is prone to flooding, but residents say they have never seen water of this magnitude. In Polk County, Milton received 12 to 16 inches of rainfall.

ABC Action News went along for the ride with the sheriff and his team as they used a high-level military rescue truck to assess flood damage and rescue trapped people. They carried out dozens of rescue operations, including 10 people and a dog from one house.

“We are here to help them in their worst moments. So if someone needs our help, our job is to give it our all when the situation is at its worst,” Judd said.

Additional deputies will also be patrolling the area until people are back on their feet.

Judd said many residents want to stay in their homes because that’s where they feel most comfortable. If they change their mind, they can always call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and ask to be taken to a safe place.