BRANDON, Fla. (WFLA) – It happened in a matter of minutes.
More flooding.
Residents in the Timber Pond subdivision are desperate and devastated.
On Thursday night, they were at a neighborhood meeting at nearby Brandon High School, trying to figure out how to fix the chronic flooding in their neighborhood. They say the meeting lasted less than two hours.
That’s how long it took for their subdivision to flood once again.
“This is a mess,” cried Vinu Goldberg. “This is a serious safety issue.”
The mother of five is worried about her children and their daily walk to school.
The streets, sidewalks and crosswalks are covered in water.
“I’m trying not to get riled up, but I think I’m getting riled,” she said emphatically with tears in her eyes while talking about her children.
“How are they going to get from their homes to here if the road and crosswalks are covered in water?”
Longtime resident Valerie Arthur had tears in her eyes as well Thursday night.
“It’s like a third world country, it’s no way to live,” Valerie said..
This neighborhood has seen serious flooding issues over and over again for the last three years.
Homeowners called 8 On Your Side back in 2015 and we’ve been helping them take on the county ever since.
“You were the first one, you helped us,” Valerie told WFLA. “We thank you for coming out because that’s the only way they do anything.”
So, why does this area keep flooding?
How is there no progress after months and months?
Why does this subdivision seem plagued with problems?
Neighbors say it’s a failed drainage project by the county. Commissioners and county engineers claim it’s the heavy rain in Florida.
In the end, homeowners say it’s simple.
“Enough is enough,” said one longtime resident. “Fix it. Now.”
“We can’t live like this, this is ridiculous,” said Valerie.
Homeowners have begged the county for help over the last three years. Neighbors say they’ve called, emailed, met with county leaders and questioned engineers endlessly.
Still, the flooding persists.
Residents say they won’t give up the fight. In fact, they plan to go back to see county commissioners face to face at an upcoming public meeting next Thursday.
