ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — After heavy rains and flooding across Florida, officials in Orange County shared photos of pets being rescued with their owners in high waters.
"Pets are family. Period," Orange County Government wrote in a Facebook post.
Orange County Fire Rescue, the Orange County Sheriff's Office, and the National Guard helped owners and their pets get to safety on Thursday.
After battering Florida's southwest coast, Hurricane Ian continued on its path of destruction, bringing flooding and winds to central Florida.
The city of Orlando experienced historic flooding with more than 14 inches of water in some places.
Orlando Police were continuing to urge residents to stay off flooded streets on Thursday evening.
The Orlo Vista neighborhood was particularly hard-hit. The Orange County Sheriff's Office used a high-water rescue vehicle to get to people there who needed help.
The devastation inflicted on Florida began to come into focus a day after Ian struck as a monstrous Category 4 hurricane and one of the strongest storms ever to hit the U.S.
It flooded homes on both the state's coasts, cut off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.67 million Florida homes and businesses — nearly a quarter of utility customers.