LAKELAND, Fla. — For 11 months, Misty Wells and her husband rebuilt every inch of their home. It was lost when Hurricane Milton sent Lake Bonny rushing in.
"We laid the flooring. Did the paint, the trim ourselves. We were finally able to move in after 11 months," Wells said.
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Her home, like others along the lake, was devastated by flooding last October.
“Within an hour, we had 7-8 inches inside the house,” Wells said.
Forcing Wells and her family to live in a camper for almost a year.
"No space, no privacy, no way to sleep comfortably at night or take a full shower without running out of hot water. It was a lot for 11 months," she said.
In July, the City of Lakeland released a study that found the pump and stormwater infrastructure were insufficient for major storm events. Something Wells and her neighbors feared all along.
"They should've put in a tougher pump long ago to prevent this from happening," Wells said. "Everybody just says we don't have the funds or means of doing so, but we see them funding many, many other projects. So, it's kind of like, well what are we? Where do we stand?"
The City of Lakeland is now collaborating with Polk County on projects aimed at reducing the flooding risk, City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said at the Oct. 6 City Commission meeting.
The first phase which is already underway, is hiring an engineering firm to complete an assessment of the Lake Bonny watershed and determine the feasibility of plans to improve the existing pump and other water conveyance system.
The County is also seeking more than $100 million in grants.
"This would be for an infrastructure repair program to implement regional stormwater drainage, conveyance and storage improvements to mitigate regional, widespread flooding from Lake Gibson to the Peace River," said Sherrouse.
But there's no quick solution and for neighbors, time is of the essence.
"We're just hearing about applying for grants. To us that really doesn't mean a whole lot at this time. We're in peak hurricane season and absolutely nothing has been done in an entire year," said Wells.
The City continues to monitor the water levels in Lake Bonny, utilizing and maintaining the existing pump and conveyance system.
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