Written by Amber Bierfreund

For Diane Benoit, the floodwaters that swept through her Palm Bay neighborhood brought more than damage to her home. They brought fear, uncertainty and the overwhelming realization that she and her husband might have to leave everything behind.

But amid the rising water, Diane discovered something that helped ease her fears: the kindness of strangers.

“It’s like winning a lottery, honey,” Diane said of the support she and her husband received at an American Red Cross shelter. “It’s like people care. So there are people out there.”

When the Water Wouldn’t Stop Rising

What began as a rainy morning quickly turned into a frightening ordeal.

Diane watched as water steadily rose along her street. At first, she could still see the grass near the mailbox. As the hours passed, the mailbox disappeared beneath the floodwaters, and a neighbor’s vehicle became almost completely submerged.

Hoping to protect her own car, Diane moved it into the garage. But within minutes, water had already begun pouring inside.Soon, floodwaters crossed the threshold of her home, spreading through the living room, bedrooms and bathrooms. Before long, approximately five inches of water covered the floors.

“Every room just got water in it,” Diane recalled.

As the water continued rising, Diane feared the flooding had swallowed the entire city.“

I actually thought it was the whole city of Palm Bay that was going under,” she said.With no clear way out, Diane and her husband waited inside their flooded home. Neighbors traveled along the submerged streets in canoes, and one woman stopped to check on the couple and offer them a safe place to stay.

Eventually, first responders arrived in a large rescue vehicle to evacuate them.Diane had only minutes to gather what she could, including essential medications for herself and her husband.

The couple faces significant medical challenges. Diane has a pacemaker, while her husband lives with several health conditions that limit his mobility and require her daily assistance.As his primary caregiver, Diane knew getting them both to safety would not be easy.

But the first responders made sure they weren’t left behind.

“They were very, very caring people,” Diane said, recalling how gently rescuers helped her into the vehicle.

What surprised her most came moments later.

After traveling just a short distance from their neighborhood, the floodwaters were gone.

“It was like night and day,” she said. “They didn’t get nothing. They got a wet road.”

Finding Comfort in an Uncertain Time

For Diane and her husband, leaving home meant stepping into the unknown.

The couple has limited local family support and relies heavily on one another. Diane cares for her husband every day, helping him with basic needs that he can no longer manage independently.

“We only have each other,” she said.

At the Red Cross shelter, the couple found a safe place to rest, meals, towels and volunteers ready to help them navigate an overwhelming situation.

More importantly, Diane found people who genuinely cared.

“They gave us food. They gave us towels. They gave us a lot,” she said. “It took a lot of scary away.”

She described Red Cross volunteers as attentive, compassionate and always willing to ask whether someone needed anything.

“They’re wonderful,” Diane said. “They’re very good. I would say excellent.”

For someone accustomed to taking care of others, receiving that same kindness meant more than she could express.

Before retiring, Diane spent 30 years working with children with disabilities in Massachusetts. Helping others had always been part of her life.

Now, as she faced one of her own greatest challenges, others were stepping forward to help her.“

They show kindness, like a family member,” she said. “Not just a person you don’t know.”

A Birthday She Never Expected

As Diane approaches her 74th birthday this Sunday, she is facing a future filled with questions.

She doesn’t yet know the full extent of the damage to her home or what it will take to return. She’s worried about insurance, replacing damaged belongings and making sure her husband continues receiving the care he needs.

The emotional weight of everything that happened is still sinking in.

“I haven’t woken up yet,” she admitted. “It’s gradually setting into me. But it’s scary.”

Diane has experienced severe weather before, including the historic Blizzard of 1978 in Massachusetts, which brought much of the state to a standstill.

But she says the flooding in Palm Bay was even more frightening.

“This was worse to me than the Blizzard of ’78,” she said.

Despite the uncertainty, Diane hasn’t lost her sense of humor or her determination to keep moving forward.

And while she worries about what awaits when she returns home, she knows what matters most.

“You can replace a house. You can’t replace a life.”

The Power of Kindness

For Diane, the experience has brought a renewed appreciation for the people who dedicate their time to helping others during disasters.

From the neighbors who checked on her to the first responders who carried her to safety and the Red Cross volunteers who welcomed her at the shelter, each act of compassion made a difference.

She hopes her experience inspires others to lend a helping hand when someone needs it most.

“Show kindness to people. You always get it back,” Diane said. “If you treat somebody good and care about them, they’ll care about you.”

As she and her husband prepare for the difficult road to recovery, Diane remains grateful for the people who have helped them through some of their darkest moments.

“They’ve done so much, and I never realized what they do,” she said of the Red Cross volunteers. “They’re wonderful.”

For Diane, the shelter has provided more than food and a safe place to sleep. It has offered reassurance that even when floodwaters rise and everything feels uncertain, compassion can help people find their footing again.

Because sometimes, the greatest comfort after a disaster is simply knowing someone cares.

The American Red Cross continues working alongside local officials and community partners to support residents impacted by flooding in Brevard County. Red Cross disaster assistance is provided at no cost, thanks to the generosity of volunteers and donors.