Florida emergency officials assessing Pasco County flooding left 4 months after Hurricane Milton

Milton recovery: Pasco residents plead for help

FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer reports on dozens of families in Pasco County still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Milton and are now pleading with the county for help.

DADE CITY, Fla. - The Florida Division of Emergency Management is assessing flooding in Pasco County that has left families begging for help four months after Hurricane Milton caused the problem.

What they're saying:

State Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Pasco County, told FOX 13 that the Division of Emergency Management recently visited the Hickory Hills neighborhood in Dade City, where dozens of homeowners are still dealing with flooding.

"I don't want them to feel forgotten, and I also cannot imagine what they're going through," Burgess said. "I know that the Division of Emergency Management did just visit the Hickory Hills area specifically to reassess what's ongoing, and so I know that we are, there is still very much an active conversation."

A Pasco County spokesperson said the state was pumping water from that community until mid-December, but re-deployed the pumps to other parts of the state. This left a number of private roads still underwater.

Local perspective:

The county told FOX 13 it can't help, because the water is on private land. Homeowners, however, point out they aren't able to pump the water themselves, because they'd have to cross several private properties to access the nearest lakes and ponds.

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"I wake up exhausted every morning," said Victor Lemus, who hasn't been able to access the private road that leads to his house since October. "There's going to be an emergency via fire or medical, and they're going to turn down this road and stop, because they can't get in here."

The only way for Lemus to get to his house is by driving through a neighbor's yard.

His neighbor, Paula Chacon, lives on, what should be, about 10.5 acres of dry land. Most of her property, however, is underneath about five to six feet of water.

"We need help. Please help us, because we need to have access to our own home," Chacon said.

MORE: Gulf Beaches Public Library reopens after hurricanes thanks to $150K donation for repairs

What's next:

In a text message to FOX 13, Commissioner Jack Mariano said members of the county's public works department are planning to visit the community on Tuesday to determine whether anything can be done.

Several neighbors plan to attend this week's Pasco County Commission meeting where they hope to address their concerns.

Who hasn't responded:

FOX 13 has also reached out to Commissioner Ron Oakley, who represents Dade City. Oakley has not responded to several text messages, calls or an email asking if he's trying to assist homeowners.

"It makes me very mad, because they don't have problems taking my tax check every every year, they don't have any problem with that," said Lemus.

Governor Ron DeSantis' office has also not responded to several emails requesting comment.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered through interviews with Hickory Hills neighborhood residents and a state senator. It also has information provided by Pasco County.

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