IONA, Fla. — Nearly a week after Hurricane Helene swept through, the community of Iona is still dealing with its aftermath.
WATCH AS FOX 4'S IONA CORRESPONDENT ANVAR RUZIEV, SPEAKS WITH AFFECTED NEIGHBORS:
Off Summerlin Road, a car sits partially submerged in a swale, and neighbors say they don't know how it got there.
This isn't the only area where you can still see the effects of the storm.
Iona neighbors who live off McGregor Boulevard and Amazon Lane say they absolutely love their neighborhood, and that's why some have lived there for nearly forty years.
"It's the best, it's so lush, it's so beautiful, it's so native," said Mary Voytek, an Iona resident since 1985.
But things are changing quickly. Neighbors say stormwater management here is next to nothing. After it rains, they say the water lingers for weeks. Some residents even use as many as three water pumps to remove water from their street.
"We didn't use to have this type of flooding," Voytek said. "It seems to be a result of increasing development all around and a lack of storm water management."
Other neighbors confirmed Mary's concerns, saying their houses weren't flooding until new construction was built right across the street. They shared videos showing the flooding on their street and say they don't want this to become a common occurrence.
"It's a fabulous spot," Voytek added. "I just don't want it to go south."
Further south is Bunche Beach, which has been closed since Hurricane Helene. The county says approximately six inches of overwash sand is being cleaned out along with other storm debris.
County staff hope to reopen Bunche Beach sometime this weekend but say the exact date and time has not yet been established.
