A teenage girl has opened up about the harrowing moment floodwater forced her on top of her neighbor’s roof.
17-year-old Chloe Adams is a survivor of the “worst ever” flooding in Kentucky that took the lives of at least 37 people after torrential rains last week.
After “disastrous” floodwater filled up her home in Whitesburg, quick-thinking Chloe put her dog Sandy in a plastic container and made a desperate bid to save her life by swimming to her neighbor’s home and climbing on top of its roof together with her beloved companion.
In a tear-jerking photo, the teen is seen sitting on top of a roof next to Sandy as the floodwater is just inches away from sweeping them off their safe haven.
As Chloe revealed in an interview with DailyMail.com, she was “prepared for death” as the water continued rising and engulfing homes in her city.
“When I realized I had to get out I instantly began to put a plan together to get me and my dog out safely,” the 17-year-old said.
“I tested to see if Sandy would be able to swim and when she couldn’t I looked for floating objects that would safely get her across.
“I first tried her dog bed and that quickly sunk, so then I tried a plastic container but she was too heavy for that, then I found a couch cushion and put the plastic container on top allowing her to get across the waters safely.”
Despite the odds, both Chloe and Sandy made it to a nearby rooftop where they sought shelter in hopes of imminent rescue.
“Of course all this was very scary and stressful, I just knew I needed to focus on getting out instead of panicking. It was sink or swim,” she added.
“What was going through my head was that I needed to save my dog Sandy. I was not leaving her behind, so that whole time I was just thinking of a plan.
“And sadly at some points during this traumatic experience, I was also trying to prepare for death because I didn’t think Sandy and I were going to make it out.”
After five hours of waiting on the rooftop in terror, Chloe and Sandy were saved by her cousin who came to the rescue in a kayak and took the girl to their grandmother.
While Chloe and her dad, Terry Adams, lost their home and almost all of their belongings in the flooding, they admitted they feel grateful to be alive.
“My daughter is safe and whole tonight. She saved her dog by putting her in a container that would float and then swam with her to a neighboring rooftop,” Terry wrote.
“She waited hours until she could be rescued. She is a hero. I love you Chloe. You are simply amazing. We lost everything today… everything except what matters most.”
Mr. Adams has since also launched a GoFundMe page in a bid to raise some money to help rebuild the family’s home and recover from the disaster.
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