160 Rescued By Pasco Deputies, New Port Richey Police During Hurricane

PASCO COUNTY, FL — For members of the New Port Richey Police Department and Fire Department, Wednesday night and Thursday morning were anything but business as usual.

As Hurricane Idalia approached the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center forewarned Floridians that Idalia would make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane somewhere along Florida's Nature Coast, which includes Pasco County.

With storm surge of up to 9 feet and 110 mph winds predicted, the NHC placed New Port Richey, with a population of 16,966 residents, and other parts of coastal Pasco County under a hurricane and storm surge warning.

In response, Pasco County's Emergency Management division issued mandatory evacuations orders for Zone A, where an estimated 72,590 of Pasco County residents live.

Kochen is intimately familiar with hurricane evacuations and the reticence of residents to leave their homes. Having served on the Tarpon Springs Police Department for 32 years, 10 of those years as the city's police chief, Kochen, a resident of New Port Richey since 1996, was well aware that some people wouldn't heed the evacuation orders.

So, in preparation for what was anticipated to be a catastrophic weather event, Kochen called in the troops, including the majority of the police department's 44 full-time officers, as well as auxiliary and part-time officers.

His precautions paid off. The police department was slammed with calls for help from residents who opted to shelter in place.

As the hurricane passed New Port Richey on its way to making landfall in the Big Bend area, sending massive waves over city and neighborhood roads and into homes, Kochen's officers rescued more than 100 residents.

Meanwhile, Pasco County sheriff's deputies had their own challenges answering calls throughout the county that encompasses 747 square miles and is home to 575,891 residents.

It was all hands on deck for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office and Fire Rescue, including Sheriff Chris Nocco himself, who was photographed escorting a senior citizen through the floodwaters in Hudson to safety.

Nocco said he and fellow deputies helped evacuate 60 residents from flooded homes in Hudson in addition to clearing downed trees and debris from roads and keeping an eye out for looters.

In all Pasco deputies and firefighters, using special high-water vehicle, rescued 85 residents ranging from age 9 to 90 during and after the hurricane.

An inventory is ongoing but an estimated 6,000 homes sustained flood damage in Pasco County, according to Pasco County emergency management officials. Some homes were inundated with floodwaters 5 feet deep.

However, flooding was the least of Heather and David Durst's problems.

The Dursts said they purchased their waterfront dream house in Hudson two years ago and planned to spend their retirement enjoying the water and wildlife along the Nature Coast.

Heather Durst said they stepped outside around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to check on the water level.

"That's when our neighbor yelled that our house was on fire," she said. "

"We couldn't believe it," said her husband. "We don't know exactly what happened."

Initially, the couple tried to put out the fire themselves, but quickly realized this was no minor fire that could be doused with a garden hose.

They called 911 for help, not knowing if their plea would be answered. Pasco first responders warned residents that they might not be able to respond to emergency calls due to the hurricane.

It took nearly an hour for Pasco County firefighters to make their way through the flooded roads to the Dursts' home. By the time they arrived, the garage was fully engulfed in flames and the fire was spreading to the attic. Firefighters spent nearly five hours fighting the fire.

In the end, however, there was little left of their home beyond ashes, scorched furniture and water-damaged personal items. However, the Dursts did manage to salvage a few boxes containing family photos and other irreplaceable memories from their 30-year marriage.

"That's it," said David Durst of the salvaged boxes. "That's all we have left. It was a beautiful home. There are things that just can't be replaced."

Hearing their story, the community has come together to provide them with necessities and contribute to a GoFundMe fundraiser set up by the Dursts' daughter, Erica LaFata, who also lives in Hudson and her two brothers, Mason and Drake.

"They poured their hearts into personalizing every inch of their forever home, covering it with family heirlooms and building much of the furniture and outdoor deck," said LaFata. "Years of hard work and decades of memorabilia were destroyed while they watched from a safe location across the street."

She said her parents would be grateful for any donations.

"While Heather and David wouldn’t ask for help themselves, their children (me, Mason, Drake, and our spouses) created this GoFundMe to provide a way for family and friends to show their support as the Dursts rebuild their home and their lives in Florida," she said.

As of Thursday night, the fund had received 38 donations totaling $10,330 including an anonymous donation of $5,000.