Cowboys Rescue Cattle From Flooded Florida Ranchland
Riders from Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties guided stranded cattle to higher ground as floodwaters spread across ranches.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Emergency Response
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Cowboys from Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties rode horseback through deep floodwaters to move cattle from flooded pastures at the Alderman Deloney Ranch along Highway 68. Floodwaters are swallowing ranchland across Okeechobee County, and the rescue operation disrupted traffic on the highway.
Why it matters
Widespread flooding threatened ranches across the region, leaving livestock stranded in pastures that had gone underwater. The rescue shows how local ranchers and neighboring counties coordinated to protect animals when standing water left them with nowhere safe to go.
The source reports field accounts of the rescue rather than measured counts, and gives no cattle total for the operation. The total number of animals rescued or lost, and how much of the affected acreage remains underwater, were not reported.
The players
Matt Clemons
Clemons took part in the rescue, and his family owns the Okeechobee Livestock Market, a longstanding livestock trading business in the county.
Williamson Cattle Company
A cattle operation whose Okeechobee ranch was partly underwater during the flooding, and which reported all of its cattle safe.
Hungryland Farms
A farm in the Trailside community of Martin County where floodwaters submerged much of the pasture and cattle were moved to elevated ground.
The details
Cowboys saddled horses and rode through deep floodwaters to guide cattle from flooded pastures at the Alderman Deloney Ranch to higher ground. At Hungryland Farms in the Trailside community of Martin County, a herd of Florida Cracker cattle was forced onto the elevated driveway and house pad as floodwaters submerged much of the pasture.
Timeline
Friday, November 6, 2026: Cowboys from two counties joined to move cattle from flooded pastures.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: Cowboys saddled up and rode through floodwaters to rescue cattle.
Big Picture
The rescue fits a long tradition of horseback cattle management on Florida's ranchlands, where herds such as the Florida Cracker breed have historically been moved across open pasture. Flooding that forces livestock onto elevated ground tests that same ranching practice against heavier seasonal rainfall.
Ranch owners and livestock keepers in flood-prone areas should move animals to elevated ground before standing water rises. Drivers near Highway 68 should expect possible delays while rescue operations continue.
The takeaway
Flooding can strand livestock quickly, so ranchers benefit from identifying elevated ground and coordinating with neighboring operations ahead of heavy rain. Local cooperation, like the cowboys who joined from two counties, can make the difference for animals caught in rising water.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Emergency Response in Florida.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WPEC.
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