WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Eight days after the rain stopped, neighbors in a West Palm Beach community remain flooded, and they say they are not getting the answers they need to get their lives back on track.
In communities like Hamilton Bay, located off of Jog Road, people know they need help a week after record rainfall moved out. But they say their requests are falling on deaf ears. So I set out to answer one of their biggest questions: Who is accountable for providing that help?
"I don't know if — who's responsible, the HOA, the city," Juliet Bradford said as she drove a rented Jeep through floodwaters.
She told me her car had been totaled in those same floodwaters.
"It's unacceptable," Bradford said.
Jackie Copan, standing on the dry upper portion of her driveway, said she hadn't left her home since last Tuesday, when she waded through floodwaters to vote.
"We brought a stick in case we saw a gator," Copan noted.
By Monday, the water had somewhat subsided in Hamilton Bay since last week. But the frustration among neighbors has not.
Sal Pahzoor said at one point, water had gotten into his garage, where he now stores the inflatable canoe and life vests he bought last week.
"The water has been mixed with the sewage. I saw several snakes in the water," Pahzoor said.
Robin Williams described a week without basic city services.
"Since Halloween we've not received mail. We've not had garbage pickup. We've not had bulk pick up all week long," Williams said. "We are very disappointed about this. I know I am."
"I've been living in West Palm Beach for 30 years. First time I've seen something like this," Pahzoor said.
To find answers, I got on the phone, connecting with officials at Palm Beach County, the City of West Palm Beach, Hamilton Bay's property management company, and the Hamal Community Development District — which includes several flooded neighborhoods off of Okeechobee Boulevard.
Dwayne Barrett, Hamal's operations manager, told me the district has been working with the county and the city, and is currently pumping water into a canal that the county allowed them to use.
"This is at least 16 inches (deep) right here," Pahzoor said as he drove his SUV around his neighborhood.
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James sent the following statement Monday afternoon:
“I understand the frustration and hardship that residents of Briar Bay, The Cove at Briar Bay, and Hamilton Bay continue to experience following last week's historic rainfall. With significant standing water remaining in these communities, the City is focused on residents’ safety and is continuing to coordinate with the agencies responsible for drainage while providing direct assistance where possible.
The Hamal Community Development District (CDD) is responsible for maintaining the community’s surface water management system. Its existing system has two pumps that currently cannot operate simultaneously. The Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District (NPBCID) has provided two additional pumps, and Hamal CDD informed the City this morning that an electrician is being brought in to enable its two pumps to operate concurrently.
Since the beginning of this event, the City has maintained ongoing communication with the NPBCID and has also made direct outreach to Hamal CDD, offering personnel, equipment, and technical assistance. Both districts have informed us that there is nothing further the City can do at this time to assist with drainage operations. The City is not withholding permits, delaying improvements on the current pumping and drainage efforts. We will continue monitoring conditions, coordinating with the responsible agencies and offering assistance as needs change.
While the drainage system is outside our jurisdiction, our commitment to these residents is not. The City partially activated its Emergency Operations Center on November 2. Since then, City crews have been working around the clock to respond to flooding throughout West Palm Beach, while continuing to provide direct assistance to residents in these communities. This includes offering transportation to shelters for residents unable to leave their neighborhoods and helping hospice nurses reach patients when they were flooded in. Our Police and Fire Rescue personnel remain available to assist residents with medical emergencies or other urgent needs, including assistance leaving their communities. Residents facing an immediate emergency should call 911.
Our sanitation crews have continued assessing conditions in these neighborhoods twice daily. Due to significant standing water, garbage trucks cannot safely access certain areas without creating wakes that could push water into homes and garages. To provide residents with an alternative, the City is placing two temporary six-cubic-yard dumpsters in the community clubhouse parking lot for excess bagged household garbage. The City will continue monitoring conditions and resume regular collection as soon as it is safe to do so.
I recognize the significant impact this prolonged flooding has had on residents. The City will continue coordinating with the responsible agencies, monitoring conditions, and providing assistance wherever possible. Our priority remains the safety and well-being of every resident.”
For questions regarding drainage operations and floodwater removal, residents should contact the Hamal Community Development District:
- District Manager: Jamie Otero
- Phone: (561) 571-0010
- Email: info@hamalcdd.com
- Website: https://hamalcdd.com/contact
Residents experiencing a medical emergency should call 911. City emergency services remain available to assist residents in the impacted communities.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
