People in Lochmoor Waterway Estates say flooding has become a constant problem - they’re frustrated and searching for solutions. As Fox 4’s North Fort Myers Community Correspondent, I took their concerns to experts - and to the county - to see what can be done.
Watch my report here...
Lochmoor Waterway Estates sits along the Caloosahatchee, where Hurricane Milton left streets flooded and homes damaged by surge. It’s where I met Scott Sorensen, in the process of raising his home to avoid the water, but he said it’s still not enough.
“We can all lift our houses, but if the roads’s still flooding, I think we need to do something to keep the water off the roads,” said Sorensen.
The people there believe Hurricanes like Ian brought debris and sediment into the rivers, which have restricted water flow and caused more flooding than ever before. So, I went to FGCU Water School Professor Don Duke to ask if that’s possible, and he said that’s part of what’s happening.
“They’re causing a temporary backup, and that temporary backup is seen when we get a lot of rain in the watershed, and that river is flowing higher than normal, well the backup can make it worse locally in the immediate area behind the debris,” said Duke.
I’ve shown you that the county and South Florida Water Management District clear debris to keep rivers flowing - back in April I was with the district as they removed “problem trees” from the Orange River.
Duke said this work is critical to drainage. “The drainage pipes are at a fairly shallow inclination because our land is flat. They’re designed to let water run off our streets into the rivers. When the river comes up, the water is just running back up the pipes and out into our streets,” Duke explained.
So, that’s part of the cause - but new development impacts the flooding as well. The people in Lochmoor want to know if anything can be done to stop the water. I took that question to Lee County Natural Resources Director, Roland Ottolini.
“We’re considering looking at removing some obstructive vegetation that’s in the way that creates more friction causing the water to rise higher than it would normally if it was cleaned. Also looking at some potential limited dredging,” said Ottolini.
The county launched a new ‘Flooding Facts’ website. It has historic flooding data and updates on what the county is doing to try to control the water. It’s also a way for people to report flooding and request drainage improvements.
“If there’s a lack of drainage, they could have someone come in and survey, an engineering firm, to give them recommendations on how together water to move better,” said Ottolini.
