DEBARY, Fla. – Residents in some DeBary neighborhoods still can’t get their cars out of their garage or drive down the street because of severe flooding.
Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service show that Hurricane Milton dropped nearly 15 inches of rain in a short period of time in the city. Officials said that is one of the reasons why it is taking some time to get the water cleared.
News 6 visited some of the folks on Florence Boulevard, where parts looked like a lake. Selena Lamp and her family just moved into their house here.
[RELATED: Where Milton ranks among strongest Atlantic hurricanes | Strongest winds so far in Central Florida from Hurricane Milton | Download the FREE News 6 hurricane app]
They have to wade through the water to go anywhere and can’t their car out of the garage because it is flooded.
“It’s frustrating,” Lamp said. “I’m in the middle of trying to move from the house. We can’t move. Can’t get a U-Haul back there. I can’t go to doctor’s appointments. People are getting stuck. It’s heartbreaking.”
[RELATED: Where Milton ranks among strongest Atlantic hurricanes | Strongest winds so far in Central Florida from Hurricane Milton | Download the FREE News 6 hurricane app]
Some longtime residents in the neighborhood told News 6 the same thing happened back in 2022 when Hurricane Ian hit, but this time it’s worse.
They say officials put a pump in after Ian, to prevent future flooding,but it isn’t working because it is almost under water.
Lamp says she is tired of the storms. “
...I just want to move out of Florida,” Lamp said. “Out completely, because there’s no help here. There’s no help. And I understand that there’s people in worse condition than us. But it’d be nice just to get a word of ‘Hey, we haven’t forgot about you.’”
Several other streets are also flooded.
DeBary’s city manager says they pumping water out of these neighborhoods as fast as they can.
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