CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) - A Carlsbad woman is hoping to raise money for loved ones left reeling from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Ida.
Cellphone video recorded by Rebecca Rogers shows the moments after she and her family waded out of her home around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.
”It was just panic. I was panicked all day,” said Rogers.
All day, the rain from the effects of Hurricane Ida had battered her town of Mont Clare, about 25 miles north of Philadelphia. Late that night, the floodwaters rose quickly. Rogers was in her living room.
“It was like an earthquake. There was shaking. The power went out, and there was debris everywhere,” said Rogers.
Moments later, Rogers was stopped in her tracks.
“The house was collapsing, and as I walked into the kitchen, the floor fell into the basement,” said Rogers.
Her family did get out of the house before they were picked up by rescuers on rafts. A short time before and right next door, Rogers’ parents were facing their own crisis.
“Next thing I knew, water was coming in from everywhere, leeching in right through the walls,” said Rob Poggi.
Her dad Rob and mom Rachel had packed up all 15 of their animals, but they couldn't get out.
“Came so quickly … we were told the streets were closed,” said Rachel Poggi.
All they could do was put their animals upstairs before the rescuers took the couple and one dog away.
“Some thought the dam might break, which would have taken the water over the house. The animals would have been dead,” she said.
The next day, they returned and found their animals — alive.
“First time we smiled,” said Rob Poggi.
It's unclear if their home can be salvaged, but they do have flood insurance. Their daughter's family does not. Meanwhile, a coast away, in Carlsbad, Rob's sister, Mary Poggi, launched one of several fundraisers for a family facing a long road.
“Their life is uncertain right now. They’ve lost everything,” said Mary Poggi.
Rob Poggi says more than a hundred homes were severely damaged in their town.
