HOLLY HILL, Fla. – Local residents are expressing their frustrations over ongoing flooding issues and delayed repairs after Hurricane Milton, sharing personal accounts and demanding action at a city workshop on Wednesday.
Homeowner Danielle Latona said she’s still working on repairs herself.
“I’ve carried my mom in a wheelchair six feet in the air with my neighbors to get out. So, there’s nothing we don’t understand.” Latona said.
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Latona attended the meeting with her neighbors on Wednesday.
“I’m working on my home until 2 or 3 in the morning because we are waiting for insurance to make a determination on what they are going to pay for,” Latona said. “I don’t have the funds to just hire someone to come in and cut drywall.”
For residents like Latona, flooding has been a recurring issue on New Castle Court for years.
“We’ve been hearing this since 2009. That was our first flood. So when I hear ‘short-term fix,’ is 14 years a short-term fix?” Latona said.
City officials confirmed that 14 of the city’s lift stations lost power during Hurricane Milton, with 11 stations flooding as a result. They also cited “irregular maintenance” of the LPGA canal as a contributing factor to the area’s vulnerability to storms.
Francesca Benner, another Holly Hill resident, shared her experience of raw sewage spilling into her yard during the storm.
“I had a 6-inch pond of sewage right up against my home that was there for days,” Benner said.
The city announced it plans to complete a flood study by December. Officials say the study will support grant applications aimed at addressing the flooding issues.
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