JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — A Jensen Beach family displaced by historic flooding is searching for more permanent housing and money to rebuild after water destroyed much of the inside of their home. Lisa and Jeremy French, who have two young boys, told WPTV's Michael Hoffman they ultimately have one goal: to get their family back home.
WPTV first met the French family shortly after historic rainfall hit South Florida and the Treasure Coast. Floodwater had surrounded their neighborhood, forcing residents to use kayaks to get around and check on neighbors.
Days later, much of the water has receded. The damage has not.
"My floorboards are outside," Lisa French said.
Family says nearly everything inside is gone
Hoffman returned to the French family's Jensen Beach home for an update, but the family said it was not safe to go inside.
French said the flooding wiped out much of what her family had accumulated over the years.
"Our appliances are gone, our cabinets are gone, every piece of furniture," French said.
The family is now trying to determine how to pay for repairs while securing a more permanent place to live.
WPTV met French again at the Hoke Library in Jensen Beach, where a Multi-Agency Resource Center has been helping people looking for assistance following the flooding.
Family questions what caused flooding after rainfall stopped
French told Hoffman that her home flooded days after the rain had stopped.
Martin County told WPTV that the family's home is near the Savannah Preserves, an area where excess water naturally flows from other flooded areas.
French, however, questions whether other actions involving water entering the preserve contributed to what happened at her home.
"They're saying it's from natural rain, but they dumped Monday and Tuesday, nonstop into the savannas," French said.
'Today we are homeless'
The impact of the flooding extends beyond the physical damage.
Through tears, Lisa and Jeremy French pleaded for help before the Martin County Commission as they described what their family is facing.
"Today we are homeless," Lisa French told commissioners. "We have nowhere to host Thanksgiving. We have nowhere for our boys to have Christmas. We don't have beds to come home to."
The couple has two young boys. French said she wants them to continue growing up in the Jensen Beach home the family worked hard to maintain.
For now, however, the family says it needs more permanent housing while trying to determine where the money to repair the home will come from.
French said the uncertainty surrounding assistance has left her worried there could still be a significant financial gap, even if additional aid becomes available.
"Who's going to fill in the gaps?" French said. "And, you know, maybe I feel like somebody should take accountability."
Despite the uncertainty and extensive damage, the family says it has not given up hope of returning.
"We just want to go home," French said. "Like, that's at the end, that we just want to be home with our family."
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