Hurricane Milton flooding report has Lake Bonny residents calling for infrastructure upgrades
Study on Lake Bonny flood
Nearly a year after Hurricane Milton caused devastating flooding around Lake Bonny, the city of Lakeland released a report on the causes and potential mitigation efforts. However, the results are what some homeowners say they feared. Carla Bayron reports.
LAKELAND, Fla. - Nearly a year after Hurricane Milton caused devastating flooding around Lake Bonny, the city of Lakeland released a report on the causes and potential mitigation efforts. However, the results are what some homeowners say they feared.
What we know:
The independent flood assessment report completed by AECOM found that the flooding was intensified by high rainfall in the months leading up to Hurricane Milton. It also highlighted a lack of infrastructure support, specifically the inadequate drainage system, and insufficient pump capacity.
"The pump isn't big enough to handle a regular storm, let alone a massive hurricane, so it's very validating. It makes us feel like we're not crazy for fighting and attending all these meetings," said resident Nicole Aldahonda-Ramirez.
READ: Lake Bonny residents brace for new hurricane season after Milton's devastating flooding
Aldahonda-Ramirez and Jan Morsey were displaced by the hurricane and have since formed the Citizens for Flood Prevention and demanded answers from the city and Polk County about why the flooding occurred and how to prevent it from happening again.
"We lost everything in our home, and we could've lost our lives," said Morsey. "The dangers of electrical lines in the water, I mean, that's just one thing that could've been life-threatening for us."
The report highlighted three mitigation options:
- Pump water from Lake Bonny to Lake Parker
- Pump water from Lake Bonny Pump Station to the Mine
- Pump water from Lake Bonny to the Wetland and then from the Wetland to Lake Parker.
What they're saying:
City spokesperson Kevin Cook stated, in part: "...at least one of the proposed scenarios will involve property acquisition and wetland mitigation..." and "...There is no straightforward solution. Each option outlined in the report involves complex considerations and will require coordinated decisions from multiple jurisdictions and agencies..."
Cook also mentioned that Polk County has submitted a $12 million grant application to the Florida Department of Emergency Management for flood relief projects around Lake Bonny, as recommended in the report.
The other side:
However, the homeowners would like to see exactly what the grant entails and how it can be used.
"We don't take anything at face value anymore," said Morsey.
With recent rainstorms, the homeowners say they've already experienced flooding conditions, which is not a good sign as hurricane season is in full swing.
"We have black-and-white evidence that we're less prepared than we thought or were led to believe," said Morsey.
"It's not going to be long before my house becomes part of the lake if I don't get something done now because my dirt is disappearing as we speak," said Aldahonda-Ramirez.
What's next:
A final report will be prepared to describe all the data obtained and the reasons for selecting the best alternative among the three.
The Source: This story was written with information gathered by FOX 13's Carla Bayron.