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5 Heroes Who Battled Wind, Floods, And Rain To Save Lives During Hurricane Ian

Natural disasters like Hurricane Ian have a way of bringing out the best in humanity.

When Hurricane Ian hit Florida at the end of September 2022, it was a powerful Category 4 storm that left about 2.5 million people without power. The storm caused major, widespread devastation and flooding, with many residents trapped inside their homes. As the terrifying videos and witness accounts poured in, stories of everyday heroes risking their lives to save others emerged. Here are a few stories that tugged our heartstrings!

1. Megan Cruz Scavo shared this video of her boyfriend saving a cat from flood waters near Bonita Beach, Florida.

2. These two people couldn’t just leave this sweet, sad dog stranded on top of a car.

3.  Total strangers rescued a terrified older man who was stranded inside his vehicle in Bonita Springs. This video gives us a real first-person perspective of what it was like inside the storm.

4. Meet the 60-person crew of the USCG Air Station Clearwater. This group flew on four separate search-and-rescue cases to save seven lives in one night.

5. While reporting on the storm, WESH-2 reporter Tony Atkins paused his television appearance to wade through waist-deep water to pull a stranded woman out of her vehicle. He carried her on his back to dry land. Later, he found out that the woman is a nurse who was on her way to work. Thanks to the reporter, she made it to the hospital to help saves lives, too.

As Mr. Rogers famously said during times of trouble: “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” We are sending positive thoughts to everyone affected by this devastating storm.

Share this story to thank the people whose natural instinct is to run towards danger, not away.

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