CENTRAL FLORIDA --
The scope of the devastation caused by a week of heavy rainfall and massive flooding becomes clearer with each passing day.
In Daytona Beach alone, nearly 500 homes have been damaged and that number is expected to rise. Firefighters have already rescued hundreds of people trapped by flooding.
Eyewitness News has been in touch with rescue crews Friday morning and they plan on resuming the task of pulling people from their homes as soon as daylight breaks.
One of the areas hit hardest by the Daytona Beach flooding is just off Nova Road. Dozens of streets are still flooded throughout Daytona Beach and many home owners are stuck inside with no where to go.
Daytona Beach firefighters have already rescued nearly 300 people and that number will continue to climb throughout Friday morning.
The neighborhood near Nova Road and International Speedway Boulevard is underwater, and the flood waters stretch as far as the eye can see.
Some folks who tried to escape the rising flood waters stalled out in their vehicles. The water is more than three-feet deep in some areas.
Since Monday, Daytona Beach has seen 17-inches of rain fall and more could still be on the way.
Many residents and crews would like to get cleanup efforts underway, but it is hard to begin that process when there is still water inside homes.
Once the water does recede, residents and cleanup crews are going to have to sift through all of the trash, sewage and other debris that is flowing beneath the water's surface.
Copyright 2009 by wftv.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
