Brevard County shifts five voting sites as floodwaters trap residents

Heavy rainfall has turned parts of Brevard County into a web of standing water, forcing officials to move five polling locations for Tuesday's election.

Emergency managers and volunteers spent Monday rescuing residents from flooded homes in Palm Bay, Melbourne, and surrounding areas. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers deployed airboats, shallow-water vessels, and helicopters to reach people stranded by the rising waters. The rescues included elderly individuals, families with young children, and residents with medical needs.

In Palm Bay, a neighbor and trained rescue diver named Rick Dent waded through chest-deep water to pull an elderly man from his home. The man was recovering from open-heart surgery. Responders also carried babies out through windows and pulled a man from Crane Creek after he was found holding onto a palm tree. A local volunteer used his airboat to ferry people between their homes and relatives in the area.

Damage to infrastructure made travel hazardous. Along Fallon Boulevard in Palm Bay, a home's driveway collapsed, causing a section of the roadway to give way. The failure created a channel of water that moved like a river through the street, trapping several people. In West Melbourne, residents reported vehicles abandoned on impassable roads and personal property ruined by water. Some residents said floodwaters reached five feet in their backyards, a level they had not seen during previous hurricanes.

The American Red Cross opened a temporary shelter at Parker Memorial Missionary Baptist Church in Cocoa for displaced families. Brevard County officials confirmed that five voting sites are closed due to safety concerns. These include the Max K. Rodes Community Center, Veterans Memorial Complex, Eddie Lee Taylor Community Center, Front Street Civic Center, and Faith Baptist Church of Palm Bay.

Voters assigned to those closed locations must go to three alternative sites. Precincts 307, 309, 512, and 525 will vote at New Shiloh Christian Center on Sarno Road in Melbourne. Precincts 306, 323, and 529 will use the Joseph and Davis Community Center on Bruce D. Buggs Street in Melbourne. Voters from Precinct 517 will cast ballots in the council chambers at Palm Bay City Hall on Malabar Road.

Polling places remain open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. City leaders urged residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary. Those who must drive were told to avoid known flooded streets and intersections. Emergency crews continued their work through Monday evening to reach remaining isolated residents.