Cuban comedian Andy Vázquez, who has been living in Cape Coral on Florida's west coast since the beginning of the year, didn't hesitate to rush out of his home to help a friend during the torrential rains and flooding caused by Hurricane Helene's impact on Thursday night.
A video shared by Vázquez on Facebook captures the chaotic weather as he went to assist a friend whose car had been stranded in the middle of the street due to the storm. Despite Cape Coral being located in Lee County, which is not in the northern part of the state where the powerful Category 4 hurricane made landfall, the entire western coastal area experienced significant effects from the meteorological phenomenon. This is confirmed by images posted on social media and the video shared by the comedian.
Staying Safe During the Storm
"Don't leave the house; stay inside," Vázquez advised, having witnessed not only flooding, heavy rains, and strong winds but also the intervention of firefighters in some cases. "It's really bad out here; trying to tow the car and it's just bad," Andy remarked. However, once back home, he expressed pride in successfully completing the rescue mission.
Unexpected Consequences in Cape Coral
"The cyclone is gone, it's out in the countryside, and look at how Cape Coral is still dealing with it," he joked, surprised that some sprinkler systems for garden irrigation had been triggered in various homes. In the comments section of his post, many of his followers praised his actions, urged him to stay safe, and made light-hearted jokes about the supplies he bought and wanted to return since the hurricane didn't directly hit Cape Coral.
Helene's Path of Destruction
Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of northern Florida on Thursday night, bringing catastrophic storm surges and extremely dangerous winds. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) confirmed that the storm's eye came ashore at 11:10 p.m., about 40 miles from Tallahassee, the state capital, just east of the Aucilla River's mouth, and roughly 10 miles from the rural town of Perry.
After intensifying over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Helene hit with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 km/h). The storm weakened as it moved inland over Georgia and is now classified as a tropical storm. So far, Helene has caused five fatalities: one in Florida, two in Georgia, one in North Carolina, and one in South Carolina.