CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – For more than two months, Chuck Baier and a number of his neighbors have been prisoners in their own homes. They live in the Castle Lake subdivision in Floral City.
The Citrus County subdivision sits in a low-lying area just east of US 41 south of Inverness. A number of homes and streets have been underwater for weeks, despite the recent dry weather.
Baier says last week, county workers showed up in tanker trucks working to pump out some of the water.
“And, listen, when I say that we appreciate any help we get, I’m not criticizing the county for not helping enough,” said Baier. “We’ll take whatever help we can get.”
That being said, Baier believes this technique could take the county months if there is no more rain.
Louis Baggerman is Baier’s next-door neighbor and takes a more direct approach. He believes the county’s plan is much like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound.
“The way I see it, they are trying to empty a bathtub with a shot glass. This needs some serious equipment to get this done,” said Baggerman.
8 On Your Side sent an email to county commissioners asking for a progress report on the situation and when the water is expected to be drained. We are awaiting a response.
The Florida Department of Health in Citrus County is aware of the situation and is urging residents to avoid the water, as septic systems have been waterlogged for weeks and are no doubt seeping into the floodwaters.
“We’ve been in communication with all of our residents who are dealing with this,” said FDOH Citrus County spokeswoman Audrey Sasko, who is urging those who can leave areas that are still flooded to do so. “Self evacuate until conditions improve, so it’s definitely not something that we want people living in.”