Pasco residents plead for help with floodwaters still surrounding homes post-hurricane
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Frustrated neighbors in Pasco County are calling on city leaders for help pumping out floodwaters still surrounding their homes four months after Hurricane Milton.
The water is blocking access to Victor Lemus' home on Fort King Road. For months, his trash service has been suspended because his driveway is completely blocked.
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'We are passing through our neighbors' backyard. Without that we would be taking a boat,' said Lemus. 'It's unacceptable.'
On Tuesday, Lemus and other neighbors voiced their concerns to Pasco County Commissioners during their meeting.
'We now have lakefront property,' said Toni Clayton. 'Which we never wanted.'
Pasco County Public Works Director Jason Mickel told 8 On Your Side that because the water is on private property, the county can't use public funds.
'The Public Works Department for Pasco County— we do work in public right of way and on public roads,' said Mickel.
Mickel said the state was pumping water out of some neighborhoods but stopped in December.
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'Those resources have been deployed to other areas now. We no longer have them,' said Mickel.
With growing concerns over health and safety neighbors are demanding something be done.
'Stagnant water will breed mosquitoes which will breed diseases, so has this become a public issue, a health issue,' said Clayton.
'If there's a medical emergency, or a fire emergency back in our neighborhood for me or any of my neighbors, we're either going to be burnt up or we're dead,' said Lemus.
'Our priority is safety of our residents,' said Mickel. 'We want to make sure that emergency vehicles can get to our residents, so we will evaluate and take a look to see if there are any roads that our emergency vehicles can't get down and will address those. We've looked at this in detail, but we will investigate again to see if there's any areas we can help.'
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