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Cape Canaveral residents prepping for storm impacts
All weekend, seniors living at the Cape Canaveral Mobile Estates were digging trenches and trying to get ready for whatever impacts the tropical system off the coast of Florida could bring to the Space Coast. Neighbors who live at the manufactured home park deal with flooding constantly, even just during regular thunderstorms, so the property manager is trying something new. They have a permanent pump, hoses going into a back canal and deeper ditches going into this week’s storm. They’re frustrated with the city because they’ve been dealing with flooding for years and think more needs to be done with street drainage and back canal maintenance to stop the issue from happening in the first place.
Some 200 miles east of Florida's Atlantic Coast is Tropical Storm Imelda, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane. Several hundred miles east of Imelda is Hurricane Humberto, which was a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 140 mph on Monday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center.
While both systems are expected to make sharp turns away from the United States and towards the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Imelda will have significant impacts along Florida's Atlantic Coast, including periods of rain from the outerbands, and choppy waves and rip currents at the beaches. Those who live at Cape Canaveral Mobile Estates prepped all weekend ahead of the storm. Residents there said their neighborhood floods when it rains normally in Florida, regardless of a tropical system.
What we know:
All weekend, seniors at Cape Canaberal Mobile Estates dug trenches, trying to get ready for whatever impacts Imelda and Humberto bring to the Florida coast. Neighbors said they've complained for years about the constant flooding, they say. The property manager is trying something new this time around. The community now has a permanent pump, hoses going into back ditches, and deeper ditches dug.
The backstory:
Cape Canaveral seniors plead for flooding help in their neighborhood: 'I should not have to deal with this'
A resident at the Cape Canaveral Mobile Estates reached out to FOX 35 on Wednesday night after they had standing water and flooded streets – again. It’s been a years-long problem with people speaking about the issue at city council meetings in the past.
FOX 35 first highlighted these concerns in early September. Some of the community's streets and yards had standing water after thunderstorms moved through the area, something residents told FOX 35 was common.
Residents: These are ‘Band-aid’ solutions
What they're saying:
Residents who talked with FOX 35 said the solutions they're trying are "Band-aid" solutions, not long-term fixes. They want the City of Cape Canaveral to step in and help.
"You can put a Band-Aid out here, and it may help. But you have to take care of the whole wound," said Lue Drake, who lives in Cape Canaveral.
"We got as much ready that can be done possibly without any help," said Bill Skinner, the property's manager.
What has the City of Cape Canaveral said?
A city spokesperson told FOX 35 that it has trimmed vegetation around the community, including in the ditch behind it. A study is also underway to determine whether a permanent pump would help alleviate the flooding around that main ditch. The city said it is also applying for grants to help improve its stormwater system.
FOX 35 sent a number of questions to the city in early September, which the city responded to:
What is the city doing to stop the flooding in the neighborhood?
"The City has trimmed the vegetation around and inside the ditch at the back of the property, removed any debris (demucked) from the ditch, and is actively maintaining it to ensure it remains clear of obstructions."
Is there discussion to build a lift/pump station nearby? That's what neighbors think would help.
"An engineering study is currently underway to determine whether a permanent pump would help alleviate flooding in and around the area of the central ditch."
What has been done or is being done to make water move through the canal quicker so it doesn't back up into their community?
"The water flows to the river via gravity, but during heavy rainfall, like yesterday's flash flood, it can overwhelm the ditch and impede its flow.".
Has any funding been approved to address flooding in that community?
"We are currently in the process of applying for grants to improve the stormwater system and infrastructure."
What should neighbors do to get help? They say they've been trying for nearly five years to fix the flooding with city assistance and are struggling to get anywhere.
"We previously recommended to the property management that they purchase a portable pump to help move water from the property to the ditch during flash flood events, like the one that occurred yesterday. This is necessary because their stormwater drain is positioned below the water level of the ditch, which makes it easily overwhelmed during heavy rainfall."
The Source: FOX 35 Reporter Esther Bower went out to the community on 9/29 to see what updates were being done. This is her second visit this month after homeowners flooded a few weeks ago. She spoke with the city via email about concerns these residents had earlier this month.