Floodwater stranded drivers along a half-mile stretch of North Oregon Street and State Road 46 in Sanford on Sunday evening. Chance Major and Bradley Hager used their lifted trucks and tow straps to help motorists reach safety before county crews arrived.
Trucks, Tow Straps and a Submerged Subaru
The flooding turned the intersection into what FOX 35 Orlando described as a dangerous waterway. Its report said Major and Hager waded to a submerged Subaru and that Major went underwater to attach a tow strap. The men then used a truck and strap to pull a stranded driver to safety.
The report also said the pair towed one driver's car home and helped another family get its vehicle out of the floodwater. Hager told the station they helped because it was the right thing to do; Major said he would help stranded motorists when he could.
Conflicting Accounts of Who They Are
Exactly how Major and Hager know each other depends on which outlet you ask. FOX 35 Orlando referred to them as best friends, while WESH described them as brothers who managed to pull two cars out of the water. Either way, the rescue effort played out the same: trucks, straps, and two guys willing to get soaked helping strangers.
WESH reported that the flooding followed nearly four inches of rain falling in less than 90 minutes, a deluge that left cars stranded along the same stretch of North Oregon Street and State Road 46. The Seminole County Sheriff's Office and county stormwater crews didn't arrive at the intersection until just before 6:30 p.m., when they blocked off the flooded roadway to prevent further incidents, according to FOX 35 Orlando's reporting.
Crews Checked Drains the Next Morning
By Monday morning, Seminole County's Road and Stormwater team was out checking ditches and pop lids for blockages. Per the same account from WESH, the ditches remained full even after the water receded, though the county said all roads had cleared overnight.
How this flooding fits Sanford's history
Seminole County's draft 2025-2030 Floodplain Management Plan says parts of Sanford experience localized street and property flooding, but it does not identify North Oregon Street or establish the cause of Sunday's flooding. A separate Sanford flood in 2021 affected streets, homes and businesses and included a washout near Ft. Mellon Park, according to WFTV. That event was distinct from Sunday's flooding near North Oregon Street.
Emergency officials warned that it doesn't take much water to put a driver in danger. Alan Harris said about six inches of water can cause a vehicle to slide into a roadside ditch, and he warned that floodwater can enter a car and submerge it entirely. More broadly, emergency officials cautioned that four to six inches of water is enough to cause a car to lose control, slide off the road, or stall out completely.
More Rain on the Way for Central Florida
The timing couldn't be worse. Central Florida is bracing for several more days of wet weather, with ClickOrlando reporting that multiple rounds of showers and storms are expected through Thursday, with localized flooding posing the biggest threat. The region is under a Marginal Risk for excessive rainfall, and forecasters say another one to two inches could fall area-wide through Thursday, with some spots potentially picking up four inches or more. Rain chances were expected to climb to 80 to 90 percent.
Officials are urging Central Florida residents to avoid driving or walking through standing floodwater, and emergency management officials are asking residents to sign up for county emergency notification systems. Seminole County residents can register for Alert Seminole, while similar systems, OCFL Alert and Alert Osceola, offer real-time warnings about flooded roads, severe weather, and other emergencies in neighboring counties.
Homeowners and renters are also being encouraged to review their insurance coverage before the next round of storms arrives. Standard homeowners and renters policies typically do not cover flood damage, and flood protection generally requires a separate policy altogether.
With more rain forecast through Thursday, officials are urging residents to avoid floodwater and monitor county alerts. Sunday's incident is a reminder that flooded roads can leave drivers stranded.
