PARRISH, Florida. – Husband, father and firefighter Kyle Moore helped save Florida residents from Debby’s wrath while his own family and home were also in danger.

Moore, a lieutenant with the Parrish Fire District, realized how critical the situation was becoming when his team saw water levels rapidly rising by about a foot or more every half hour as the storm approached the Sunshine State.

“We all knew that things were getting serious,” he said. “There’s no joking around here. We have to get these people out of here.”

I’m Kyle Moore.

(FOX Weather)

Knowing he had to save his own people, Moore was able to take about an hour’s leave to get his wife, child, cattle and animals to safety.

He then returned to duty to continue helping his fellow citizens in Florida.

DEBBY’S WRATH LEAVES AT LEAST 5 DEAD IN FLORIDA AND GEORGIA

As the water receded, Moore said his team found more vehicles off the road and hundreds of homes damaged by water.

“Our community has really taken a big hit,” he said. “We are now seeing the consequences and it is worse than we expected.”

Although Moore had experienced several storms and the associated storm surges, he noted that his community had never been hit by flooding as severe as Debby.

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He hopes Debby’s impact will raise awareness of how new developments in the region are pushing water onto the land where Floridians live their entire lives.

He expressed his gratitude to Florida Governor Ron Desantis for reaching out to him and his family, as well as the 2546 Suncoast Professional Firefighter Union and his brothers and sisters in the fire service for their support.

“I can’t thank them enough,” he said.

To help Moore and his family cope with the flooding caused by Debby, you can make a donation here.