Pasco families still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Milton plead for help at county commission meeting

Flooded homeowners address Pasco Commissioners

Aaron Mesmer reports.

DADE CITY, Fla. - Several Pasco County families still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Milton attended the county commission meeting on Tuesday, urging county leaders to help them clear the residual water from their properties.

Pasco leaders said state-operated pumps cleared water from public roads before they were deployed elsewhere, leaving several private roads and properties still underwater.

What they're saying:

Jason Mickel, Pasco County's public works' director, said he sent crews to areas that are still dealing with flooding in Dade City and Zephyrhills on Tuesday.

"There's only so much that we can do at this time," Mickel said. "What we are doing is we're teaming up with our partners at the city, also our local water management district, Southwest Florida Water Management District, to find some areas that we may be able to improve conveyance into some of these systems, if there are any. We'll be looking at that and that may help drain some of these areas."

Mickel said some homeowners may be on their own.

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"We as a county do not use public funds on private property," he said.

Local perspective:

Homeowners, however, believe several county-approved developments have made flooding worse, so they believe the county should assist with moving the remaining water off their land.

"We haven't lived in our home since the storm and this is like a last attempt," said Kim Barnes, a Dade City resident who spoke during the commission meeting. "I'm tired of not living with my family. My kids are living somewhere else. And we just need to get some solution."

"This story goes on and on and just need to get the water the heck out of there," added Dade City resident Ron Tucker, who also addressed commissioners. "Water was going down great. They stopped pumping. The water stops and there it sits."

PREVIOUS: Parts of Pasco County still dealing with flooding months after Hurricane Milton

The other side:

Commissioner Ron Oakley, whose district includes Dade City, said the county's hands may be tied, because at least one homeowner whose property is adjacent to a nearby lake from which the water originated won't allow crews to pump across his property, because he's worried his home will flood again.

"I wish I could go in and take all that water out, but we're not allowed to get from private property like that," Oakley said.

What's next:

State Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Pasco County, recently told FOX 13 the Florida Division of Emergency Management visited some of the flooded areas in Pasco County. FOX 13 reached out to the division to see if there's anything the state can do to help homeowners, but has not yet heard back.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Tuesday's Pasco County commission meeting as well as previous FOX 13 News reports.

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