Lake Bonny residents brace for new hurricane season after Milton's devastating flooding

Lake Bonny residents gear up for hurricane season

Carla Bayron reports.

LAKELAND, Fla. - Lake Bonny residents are gearing up for another hurricane season, nearly nine months after Hurricane Milton caused devastating flooding.

What they're saying:

Nicki Aldahonda-Ramirez has made progress rebuilding her home on Honey Tree Lane, but it's still under mid-construction.

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"It is nice to have an actual bathroom that's completed," she said. "All of the walls are new. The floors are new."

In the middle of the night during Milton, she, her roommate and their dogs had to escape out the front window after water from Lake Bonny, five feet high, rushed inside.

"I have night terrors now that the water's coming in," said Aldahonda-Ramirez. "I scream at night when I'm asleep."

The backstory:

The flooding lasted for weeks until state officials and the Army Corps of Engineers brought in industrial pumps to help move water into Lake Parker.

Earlier this year, frustrated residents created a petition calling for an independent investigation into the flooding and how the city, Polk County, and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFTMD) plan to prevent it from happening again.

Homeowners also demanded disclosure of drainage system maintenance records, and long-term mitigation efforts, including the formation of a citizen oversight committee.

"We're asking for [the city] to have a more open line of communication, not just with us, but with Polk County and SWFTMD, because everybody has to work collaboratively for this to work," said Aldahonda-Ramirez.

Additionally, neighbors are asking the city for a dedicated phone number for them to report when water levels get too high and for city officials to communicate when flooding is expected.

The other side:

In regard to their concerns, city spokesperson, Kevin Cook, declined FOX 13's request for an interview.

Big picture view:

A positive of this nightmare, Aldahonda-Ramirez says, is that her neighbors have become stronger than the storm.

"The neighborhood came together. Who has this or that? I have toilets and electricity. We went from not knowing each other just by going past and waving to actually coming together as one," she said.

What's next:

A watershed study is being done to identify possible flooding sources and potential flood relief options. Cook said it's now expected to be completed by August.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Carla Bayron.

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