THE ACREAGE, Fla. — Flooded streets, yards and canals across The Acreage and nearby communities have residents worried that more rain forecast this weekend could worsen already dangerous conditions.
After roughly 9 inches of rain fell in parts of western Palm Beach County, drainage systems were overwhelmed, sending water into roads, swales and residential properties.
"It's a mess. It's a mess," resident Debby Duprey said as water from a nearby canal pushed toward her home. "The canal is coming right into our yard."
Her husband, Rick Duprey, said the family fears the water could eventually enter the house.
"It's going to start to seep under and into the house," he said.
Less than 12 hours later, the Dupreys were preparing for another round of rain, worried the water would rise again.
"I feel like it's going to creep right back up," Debby Duprey said. "I'm afraid it's going to come up through the foundation."
As residents dealt with flooding, crews with the Indian Trail Improvement District worked around the clock to manage water levels, monitor canals and respond to reports of breaches and drainage problems.
Elizabeth Accomando with the district said crews prepared the system before the storm and lowered canal levels where possible.
"Our canals were very low in most cases," Accomando said.
But she said the sheer volume and intensity of the rainfall overwhelmed the system.
"If you think about how water works and how water drains, first of all, no matter how much you pump, if it's coming down just as fast or as much in volume, we can't pump out that fast," she said.
Accomando said the district operates at the "head" of a larger interconnected drainage network that includes Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee Groves, Palm Beach County and the South Florida Water Management District.
"As we're discharging the water, which we have been, it has to flow downhill," she said. "So we have to wait for everybody at the bottom end to get drained out before we can drain."
The South Florida Water Management District said its regional flood control system is operating normally and has capacity for expected weekend rainfall.
In a statement, the agency said the regional system includes more than 2,300 miles of canals and 2,200 miles of berms and levees that move water from local drainage districts and municipalities.
The district said it is aware of complaints involving flooding along the M Canal, which it said is not operated or maintained by South Florida Water Management. Water from that canal flows into the district-operated C-51 Canal, which officials said is currently moving stormwater from western Palm Beach County.
"The District's regional flood control system throughout its 16-county area of responsibility is ready for any rainfall expected this weekend and no problems have been reported with the District's flood control infrastructure," the statement said.
Accomando said crews have been in the field continuously, although lightning has temporarily slowed operations.
"Every single person is out working, but when it's lightning, they have got to go into their trucks," she said. "They can't be out moving water in the middle of a lightning storm."
The district said it has also been inundated with calls from residents seeking answers and assistance.
"We have 50,000 residents, and if everybody's calling at once, it's impossible," Accomando said. "But we are paying attention."
The district brought in additional staff to answer calls, emails and voicemails while field crews continued working flooded areas.
Officials said the recent drought also contributed to the flooding. Accomando described current conditions as part of a "75-year drought," which left the ground compacted and less able to absorb sudden heavy rainfall.
"When the rain does come, it's going to be a deluge," she said. "So this is like the new normal."
Some residents questioned why canals were not lowered further before the storm, but Accomando said aggressively draining canals during drought conditions can create additional problems, including unstable canal banks.
"Swales and canals are technically designed to hold the water until we can get it out of the district," she said. "Now we've gotten so much rain so fast that there's nothing that can hold that much water at once."
Officials are urging residents not to drive through standing water and to help by clearing swales, culverts and drains near their homes.
"With more than 400 miles of roads and thousands of miles of canals and swales to monitor, we need residents to be our eyes," Accomando said.
Despite residents' frustration and fears, district leaders said crews will continue working through the weekend as more rain remains possible.
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.
