WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. (WFLA) — Wesley Chapel residents are turning to 8 On Your Side about flooding they blame on new development in Pasco County. One day after our story, the Southwest Water Management District sent staff to listen to residents’ concerns.
Residents want a long-term solution to get rid of this flooding. Bibi Moore said her pastures are flooded and it’s affecting her cattle and livelihood.
Moore said the water is coming from the new development along State Road 56 – changing the natural flow of water. She said even after a hurricane, there’s never this much flooding.
“We need to have a long-term solution,” she said. “We can’t stop progress. It’s there, it’s coming. It’s done. But a new community cannot divert the water into an existing community.”
The Southwest Florida Water Management District came out to speak with residents, and developers to survey the area.
“We are having conversations with them, where they’re sending water and if there any problems with the infrastructure that they’re currently building,” said Dave Kramer, Southwest Florida Water Management District.
The district said the neighborhood was created within a hundred-year flood plain, prior to stormwater permitting requirements.
‘We have what we call an emergency field authorization that would allow the local government, which is a Pasco County, to reach out to us if there is public health and safety issues and ask if there could be emergency pumping.”
Pasco County said emergency field authorizations are only requested and approved for declared emergencies. In the meantime, Moore fears that something will happen to her disabled husband.
“If he had an attack, there was no way we would’ve been able to get an ambulance up to the house,” Moore said. “We had over two feet of water.”
Neighbors are pleading for help in fear that this flooding could worsen. They’re even considering hiring an attorney.
