Lake Bonny residents create petition calling for independent investigation into flooding after Milton
LAKELAND, Fla. - A group of Lake Bonny residents are gathering signatures for their petition calling for an independent investigation into how the flooding happened after Hurricane Milton and how local leaders plan to prevent it from happening again.
Local perspective:
Jan Morsey still isn't back in her home on Lake Bonny.
READ: ‘Trooper’s Law’: Dog abandoned on I-75 during Hurricane Milton evacuations inspires Florida bill
"We had to take out every wall," she said. "We lost all of our furniture. All of our appliances. Everything."
The backstory:
Hurricane Milton caused devastating flooding that lasted for weeks until state officials and the Army Corps of Engineers brought in industrial pumps to help move the water into Lake Parker.
Big picture view:
Recently, Morsey and her neighbors created a petition demanding an independent investigation into what they're calling the causes, management failures and lack of flood mitigation efforts by the City of Lakeland, Polk County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD).
"We don't want money or funds," said Morsey. "We're just asking for safety and security, so this doesn't happen to another community because with the way things are being here in Polk County and Lakeland especially, the infrastructure can't handle the drain off."
What they're saying:
Nicki Aldahonda-Ramirez had to evacuate through the window after feet of water infiltrated her home on Little Lake Bonny. She's already concerned about the water level in her backyard, because it's as high as it was during Hurricane Debby.
"If the city would just listen to us and come out and see our land – we've asked them numerous times. I've asked them at the [commission] meeting, and they came out then when we showed them how destroyed they were. After that, we haven't seen them," said Aldahonda-Ramirez.
Homeowners are also demanding disclosure of drainage system maintenance records, long-term mitigation efforts, including the formation of a citizen oversight committee, and local leaders taking proactive steps before the next storm season arrives.
MORE: State legislature proposes prioritizing Florida’s aging infrastructure after flooding from storms
"Every time there's a rainstorm there's panic attacks, because we know that water levels coming up a little more, a little more, a little more," said Morsey.
What's next:
The homeowners have collected a few hundred signatures so far, and they plan to put the petition online to reach as many people as possible.
The other side:
A city spokesperson said a watershed study that includes Lake Bonny is underway. Its goal is to identify possible flooding sources and potential flood relief options. It began the last week of January and is expected to be completed by either April or May.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered through interviews with residents and information provided by the City of Lakeland. It also includes previous FOX 13 News reports.
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