A Florida man took an unusual approach to survival as Hurricane Helene’s storm surge turned his home into a waterlogged disaster zone. Matt Heller, from Tampa, was caught on camera paddling through his flooded living room in a kayak meant for emergencies, according to the New York Post.
Heller documented the moment the waters began flooding his home in a TikTok video that quickly went viral.The storm surge from Hurricane Helene “came out of nowhere,” rapidly rising to 4 feet inside his house.
“The kayak was my escape plan in case stuff got too hairy,” Heller told CNN. “I didn’t think I was gonna need it in my living room.”
“All of a sudden the storm just kind of came in and [the waters] been rising and rising,” he said. “Within probably an hour and a half it went up about four feet from nothing.”
Heller’s home still had power as he paddled through the rising waters, but eventually, he was forced to rely on candlelight as electricity failed.
As Heller paddled through his living room, he said, “This is definitely the biggest flood we’ve ever had.”
Tampa Bay saw record-breaking storm surges. Some areas witnessed water levels as high as 7 feet, with officials warning residents that surges between 5 and 8 feet were possible. Tampa General Hospital, located on Davis Islands, installed a 15-foot water- barrier to battle the rising floodwaters.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area as a Category 4 storm late Thursday. The storm has left millions without power and claimed at least three lives. Helene was later downgraded to a Category 2 storm as it crossed into Georgia, causing extensive damage to everything in it’s path.