Mims neighborhood braces for potential flooding with heavy rains expected for the weekend

Can't catch a break: Mims residents worried about flooding

People who live along the Florida Coastline have been pumping water all day as heavy rains hit the area causing some flooding.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Residents in Mims are facing frequent flooding, and as heavy rain is expected this weekend, officials are monitoring drains and clearing what they can to prepare the area.

The backstory:

Residents near U.S. Highway 1 and Irwin Avenue in Mims are experiencing increasingly frequent flooding, even during standard heavy rains. 

Back in July, the Patio Apartments received roughly eight inches of rain in an hour, flooding several units and displacing families. Flooding occurred again on October 2, though not as severe. Residents and local business owners, such as Mow Muscle Tree Service, are struggling to manage water pooling.

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Brevard County officials say the area’s low elevation, combined with construction issues by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) — including missing ditches to carry water to cross drains — contributes to the flooding. Crews plan to monitor the area and clear drains as best they can, but there is no easy solution because water has nowhere to be pumped. 

Code Enforcement recently cited a homeowner for digging a ditch without a permit, which could exacerbate neighborhood flooding.

What they're saying:

Those living and working in the area say they don’t know how much more of this can take.

"It’s horrible. We need help," said Keith Edwards, the general contractor for Patio Apartments. "This morning, you would be standing about ankle/knee-deep — in-between the knee — with water. And we've been pumping all morning."

Across the street, at Mow Muscle Tree Service, pumps diverted water that flooded some of the construction zone, while some came out in a stream into a ditch.

A man living right down the road says he’s been in the house for about four years, and it’s already flooded twice.

He’s recovering from surgery and not able to handle a water pump on his own, so he’s extremely worried about what a harder rain could bring.

County response

The County says there are a variety of problems leading to the flooding. 

First, it’s simply a low-lying area. Plus, Don Walker, the Communications Director for Brevard County, says FDOT did some construction without building a ditch out to cross drains.

"The County is working with FDOT to see what we can do to improve that situation out there," said Walker.

Walker says crews will be in the area Friday and Saturday to monitor water pooling and try to mitigate any flooding, clearing out drains as they can.

However, he says they can’t pump water out because there’s nowhere to put it.

Code Enforcement cited a homeowner Thursday for digging a ditch on his property without a permit, which the County feared could worsen flooding problems for his neighbors.