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Glades residents hope President Trump follows through on promise

Posted at 7:49 PM, Oct 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-27 21:22:34-04

The Herbert Hoover Dike surrounding Lake Okeechobee protects thousands from potential catastrophic flooding.

Some are feeling uneasy about the dike. The lake reached alarming levels in the past month and the repairs to reinforce the dike won't be complete for another eight years.

For many including President Trump, that's not soon enough. Trump pledged to speed up repairs to the project.

In the Glades there's still questions.

"What do those dollars look like. How quickly the project will be completed," said Tammy Jackson-Moore with Guardians of the Glades.

Jackson-Moore has been leading the charge on a new petition called #FixtheDike calling on state leaders to do everything they can to expedite the repairs.

Governor Rick Scott proposed $50 million in the state budget for dike rehabilitation.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it would take $200 million each year to speed up reparis and have the project completed by 2022.

"If we can get the dike completed much sooner, everybody will be happy," said Jackson-Moore.

People in the Glades plan on going to Tallahassee when budget discussions begin.