Ruskin residents impacted by Debby concerned over flooding from tropical system

Families worry about future flooding

Jordan Bowen reports

RUSKIN, Fla. - Flooding is a major concern for people up and down the coast after heavy rainfall a few weeks ago and Hurricane Debby. Neighbors in the Ruskin area of Hillsborough County are still cleaning up from the storm.

Brittany Vanvaerenbergh and her whole family have lived in the same area for generations. They've been through Irma, Idalia and Ian, but they said Debby was by far the most damaging. They’re now doing everything they can to prepare for what could come later this week.

The Vanvaerenbergh's hope what happened during Debby doesn't happen again. That's when more than four feet of water flooded Brittany's home.

READ: Tampa and Hillsborough officials monitor pumping stations ahead of expecting storm

"We flooded with Irma, but that was only 6 inches, so we were prepared for maybe that, but nowhere near the four feet of water we got," Brittany said.

Brittany's sister, Casey Vanvaerenbergh, who lives next door, also had a few feet of water in her home. Both had to rip out all the dry wall that was water damaged. Currently, Casey and her family are living in an RV as they wait for their home to be repaired.

Now, they're forced to get ready for what could be another damaging storm later this week.

"The stuff that we have packed up from our house that was able to be saved before is in our garage, and so now we're talking about moving that stuff from the garage to a storage unit, because our garage goes underwater first. Then, it's our house if that were to happen again, so just moving things to safer ground before," Casey said.

MORE: Sarasota, Manatee communities still recovering from flooding now prepare for new potential storm

The Vanvaerenbergh's also own this small wildlife zoo on their property with more than 50 animals, including parrots, foxes, chickens and goats. Like they did with Debby, they'll have to cage up all the animals and have them safely transported to another nearby zoo where they'll be held until after the storm.

Both Casey and Brittany said they're puzzled by the extensive flooding during Debby, since they haven't seen the same from hurricanes.

"I don't think they even knew what the water is capable of doing. I think that everything popped up overnight, and I think it's going to surprise all of us," Brittany said.

They worry recent development in the area has made it, so the water has nowhere to go. They're hoping the same doesn't happen again.

"We've been here. We've seen water rise slowly, but never like it did, and so what would cause that other than the water having nowhere to absorb into the ground, it should be absorbing into our aquifer and by putting concrete and developing, that doesn't happen," Casey said.

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