Laurel Meadows residents voice concerns over conditions left from Debby

Flooding concerns ahead of hurricane season

FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon talked with a resident of the Laurel Meadows neighborhood in Sarasota County about the expectations this year as hurricane season approaches.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Eight months ago, Hurricanes Helene and Milton and Tropical Storm Debby dumped more than a foot of rain in Sarasota County.

The Laurel Meadows neighborhood, classified as low flood risk, received record amounts of flooding.

Sarasota County said a breach in the Cow Pen Slough contributed to the wall of water that destroyed people’s homes.

Cow Pen Slough.

What they're saying:

With another hurricane season less than two months away, residents tell FOX 13 they want reassurance the problem is fixed.

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Large dumpsters, storage pods and for sale signs have become part of everyday life at Laurel Meadows.

"There’s still a lot of work to be done," said Jeffrey Schermerhorn.

Schermerhorn’s home flooded, and water remained days after Tropical Storm Debby passed.

Right now, he has one concern.

"That the county isn’t doing things at a fast enough rate," said Schermerhorn.

Sarasota County identified a breach at Cow Pen Slough that sent water into Laurel Meadows.

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While they have gone to work clearing out drains and ditches, Schermerhorn said he’s seen backups that remain.

"If you walk that whole path back there and the whole Cow Pen Slough, there’s a lot of old debris out there. They have mowed down through and cleared a lot of it out, but there seems to be a lot of low points where water would come there," Schermerhorn said.

Dig deeper:

Tom Arbuckle grew up in Sarasota.

Tropical Storm Debby brought 18 inches of rain inside his Laurel Meadows home of more than 20 years. He remained dry during storms Helene and Milton.

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"We had the guy come down and clean up the ditch just last week, which is a good sign because the water will flow a lot faster. But will they let it go through? Will they stop it somewhere or plug another ditch, or is another development going up?" Arbuckle said.

The other side:

Sarasota County said initial repairs were done following Tropical Storm Debby.

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They are inspecting the entirety of the berm to identify any potential additional repairs.

The county said they are also installing rock and geotextile reinforcement to the areas repaired after Debby.

Residents of Laurel Meadows said time is ticking.

"I would think at this point, with the problems the county has had, that they would have given additional workshops or updates or assurances. You don’t know unless you’ve gone out and looked yourself," said Schermerhorn.

The Source: FOX 13’s Kimberly Kuizon collected the information in this story.

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