BOCA RATON, Fla. — The aftermath of Sunday night's storm left some Boca Raton residents feeling trapped—not just physically, but also emotionally.
The intensity of the overnight rains raised alarm bells for countless residents, who are now turning to WPTV for assistance.
As streets turned into rivers, the cries for help and action from the city echoed through the affected neighborhoods.
“The city needs to do something about it, what are they waiting for? When it's in my house?” said Silvia Janson, one of the frustrated locals.
She stood on the edge of her 19th Street property with disbelief and anger, as she surveyed the floodwaters that have her trapped — her car can't make it through the water.
“We have debris, we have Halloween stuff we don’t know who it belongs to, we have basketball hoops floating, we have two cars that were floating,” said Janson. "I'm devastated, I'm mad, I'm angry, I'm a lot of things."
She recounted how her son had to spend the night at a friend’s place after his car couldn’t navigate the flooded streets.
“I cannot believe we didn’t even have a hurricane, and this is happening in front of my house,” she said.
WPTV crews captured the scene, where the flooding in the roadway was close to knee-level.
Janson shared a video from Sunday night where the water reached the front of her house.
The chaos didn't stop with Janson’s home.
Across the street, Angela Bartolotti shared her own frustrations after being stranded at home with her daughter, who was unable to attend school due to the flooding.
“It’s terrible, it’s scary. I mean, if this would have been a hurricane, we would be in trouble,” Bartolotti stated, emphasizing the severity of the storm's impact.
Bartolotti noted a concerning trend of increasing flooding over the years, making Sunday night’s storm the worst she’s ever witnessed.
Real Estate News
Flood insurance in Florida: Why is it overlooked despite risks?
What message do you have to city leaders?” WPTV"s Joel Lopez asked in an effort to address the escalating crisis, prompting Bartolotti to plead for action: “Please come and assess it. We need some kind of drainage. Maybe not think about building all these condos, think about keeping this infrastructure healthy, what it is now, before you start building something else because it needs to be addressed.”
WPTV took their concerns to Zachary Bihr, the Public Works and Engineering director of Boca Raton. He explained that the city received upwards of nine inches of rain in just two hours during the storm.
He said there is a pipe drainage system in Palm Beach Farms that feeds water into the canals, but because of the quantity of water in the short amount of time, their systems were overwhelmed and couldn't keep up.
When pressed about the city’s plans to address these critical infrastructure issues, he acknowledged the challenge: “Last night’s storm was extraordinary and intense, with some high intensity thunderstorms.”
Bihr assured residents that efforts were underway to monitor trouble spots and assess the existing infrastructure, stating, “Yes, I have been out actually through the night to get a report, and we're monitoring with staff.”
He said that data will be used for an ongoing initiative known as the Innovative Sustainable Infrastructure Program (iSIP), that Palm Beach Farms is a part of.
According to the city website, it's a long-term initiative that uses technology and data to evaluate, prioritize and improve critical underground areas throughout the city.
By using a mapping inventory system, areas will be identified and prioritized based on the age, location, and deterioration of water and sewer pipes and neighborhood roads.
Based on results, parts of the city could receive essential updates to stormwater systems and water mains. Palm Beach Farms is scheduled for construction in spring 2026.
Bihr mentioned that resources such as pumps are being allocated to prioritize critical routes for first responders but acknowledged they have contractors on call and will move into neighborhoods depending on the need.
City officials are expecting more rain Monday evening and are urging residents to remain at home and off the roads.
They encourage residents to report clogged storm drains by calling 561-416-3402. For those stranded in rising waters, the Boca Raton Police Department’s non-emergency number is 561-368-6201.
Bihr said he planned to address city flooding at the commission meeting Monday night.
