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St. Lucie County residents concerned about flooding

Posted at 11:05 PM, Oct 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-06 04:14:02-04

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. -- For some people who live in northern St. Lucie County, when it rains, it floods.

Residents of the Lakewood Park community say they’re tired of finding their properties under water during big rain events.

Still, some residents are cleaning up from the heavy rain Hurricane Irma brought to St. Lucie County.

County leaders are planning to sit down with residents in this neighborhood and talk about possible solutions.

Thursday, the county was using pumps in drainage canals to help move water through the system more quickly and away from people’s yards and homes.

For resident Jason Weaver, it’s not enough.

The county does not operate the pumps while it is raining, but only when the raining has stopped.

He has lived in the area for nearly 10 years.

“Four times we’ve flooded, and I thought ‘this is ridiculous’,” Weaver said.  “And every time we flood, it’s ridiculous. Im trapped in my house for 3 or 4 days. I can’t get out of my driveway.”

During Irma, water came into his home.

He says the sewer system backed up and the water had to no where to go. That meant more than water was seeping into his house. 

“Unfortunately, raw sewage, which was not pleasant at all,” Weaver said.

His cleanup is still on going.

“My home is torn apart now, everything I own is being put out on the front curb. It’s like a landfill on the front of my property.”

While the flooding is not typically as extreme as what they faced with Irma, it’s enough to impact their day to day routines when rain is heavy and steady, Weaver said.

For years, he says people have asked the county to come up with a solution, be it better drainage or updated infrastructure.

He says not enough is being done.

“They’re spending money on widening our road. They’re expanding our airport with millions of dollars. How about we get the flooding taken care of?” Weaver said.

Commissioner Cathy Townsend has planned a public meeting for October 10 to discuss these concerns with residents at Lakewood Park Elementary School at 6:30 p.m.

Public Works staff will give an overview of the drainage systems in place in the county, and background on all of the water management districts involved.

Weaver is looking forward to talking about solutions.

“If they work as a team that would be nice and just listen to everyone’s concerns.”