SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — In some areas of Sarasota, flooding is so bad, the National Guard is going door to door to check on residents. Others are using boats to offer help in these flooded neighborhoods. In Manatee County, county commissioners took action and voted to extend the state of emergency for another week. This will help free up the resources to respond to the flooding.
Many of these families who lost everything don't have flood insurance because they don't live in what's considered a “high-risk” flood zone.
Joe Gruters is the state senator for part of Sarasota and Manatee counties, and today he was with homeowners in Laurel Meadows coping with Debby’s flood.
“It's an absolute nightmare for some of these families,” he says. “It's just devastating to see the families and to see some of these guys break down. And so what can we do?”
"As of two months ago we are in a non-flood zone,” said Dr. Daniele Mion-Bet, whose home got more than a foot of water inside. “Probably 90 to 95% of our neighbors have no flood insurance so you know we're kind of left to our own."
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And he’s right; the FEMA map for Rollins Pond Way, where he lives shows it’s not in a flood zone.
“Let's do an investigation, how in the world can one neighborhood be absolutely creamed and sitting next to a neighborhood that's completely fine, almost built around the same time,” he says. “This goes on and on across the eastern [parts] of Sarasota and Manatee counties.”
FEMA’s flood maps are the base measurement for numerous other designations, from flood insurance requirements to infrastructure planning.
"We've lived here in this house for I think 24 years now,” says Paola Piascik, whose home flooded. “Never anything close to this I definitely want answers on why this happened because now it's a matter of when is it going to happen again?”
While answers may come in the weeks that follow, Gruters wants lawmakers to create a disaster aid package for homeowners. Last year’s aid after Idalia largely went to farmers.
“Where we could offer financial assistance to some of these people who are literally crippled as a result of what happened,” he says.
He says he talked to leadership today including incoming senate president Ben Albritton on how to make it happen. Until then, hundreds are left to worry.
"I will be ok,” Mion-Bet said. “But I fear for my neighbors."
Meantime, Florida’s congressional delegation is pleading with the Biden administration to upgrade its current disaster declaration, which doesn't include debris pickup and individual help. FEMA’s disaster relief fund will reportedly run out of money by September.