Dozens of homes and six businesses in Pasco County have been damaged by floodwaters, but is help on the way for neighbors?
More rain is expected the rest of the week. Residents in the Elfers area are getting a small reprieve from the water spilling over from the Anclote River on Tuesday night, but it's expected to start rising again through Wednesday.
Neighbors are desperate for help dealing with this mess, and county leaders know it. Right now, Pasco County Emergency Management is asking all the homeowners impacted by the flooding in Elfers and across Pasco to report the damage. It'll determine just how much state or federal funding they may be able to get.
Meanwhile, Rep. Gus Bilirakis is trying to get action from Washington, D.C.
"They made us get out, and the flood came," says homeowner Barbara Dyer. She's one of some 300 neighbors in the Elfers area that the county warned to evacuate. Tuesday is the first time she's been back to see the damage.
"The windows are hard to get up and down now. I imagine the house shifted," says Dyer.
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The county insists it has made $5 million in upgrades to drainage in the past three years. "There's been massive investments since Tropical Storm Debby in trying to create infrastructure solutions to move water more efficiently," says Emergency Management Director Annette Doying.
It's not enough for some neighbors in Elfers or along nearby Kilarney Court.
"Our yards are ruined, our property is ruined, because someone didn't do their job over there," says a neighbor on Kilarney Court.
"The serious flood this week demonstrates the need for action," says Bilirakis, R-12th Congressional District.
Bilirakis argues one step to help Pasco County in disasters is to push through permitting to complete the Ridge Road extension. It'll be used as an evacuation route during a hurricane or flooding, but it's been held up for years.
"The Ridge Road extension needs to be approved. 19 years is far too long. The Army Corps of Engineers must stop dragging its feet," says Bilirakis.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office tells 10 News that the governor is monitoring the flooding from Tallahassee and working with state emergency management.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management says, "continues to monitor the developments in Pasco County. FDEM representatives have been working alongside local officials to provide regular updates to various stakeholders. No unmet needs have been reported."
The county says by the end of the week it will have a plan in place to help displaced neighbors.
For Barbara Dyer, she says this will be the last time flooding forces her from her home.
"I'm moving as soon as possible. We're going to move," says Dyer.
A lot of neighbors in Elfers say they haven't left because they're worried not only about flooding, but looting. It's something the sheriff's office is patrolling for, so homeowners aren't victimized twice.
