Apopka community struggles with flooding issues before TS Ian

Demie Johnson,Brittany Caldwell
·2 min read

While most central Florida residents are preparing for possible flooding, one Apopka neighborhood is at a standstill.

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In the past two weeks, Channel 9 has covered the ongoing flooding issues around Clear Water Lake Estates.

Several inches of standing water still remain in the neighborhood, where it has been flooding for months.

Read: Florida Keys under tropical storm watch, Central Florida remains in Ian’s path

This constant standing water has knocked over 62 trees in this neighborhood.

The concern for flooding is growing as Ian inches closer to Florida, and with so much water and several dead trees, neighbors said they are expecting big issues here.

Read: Apopka mayor says flooding fix created more problems, residents wait for new solution

“We have 65 projectiles known as trees and they’re all dead and they’re waiting for a 100-mile wind to pick them up like toothpicks and hurl them at something,” said Gregory Griffith.

Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson said Clear Water Lake is landlocked and there is not much that the city can do to solve the issue.

Neighbors said that as soon as they learned the storm could impact central Florida, they went back to the city for help and got a similar response.

Read: Eye on the tropics: Here’s where you can get sandbags in Central Florida

“We’re asking for some suggestions and ideas, and so far, we’re just getting evaporation is our only option,” said Alaina Faeillo, the homeowners association president for Clear Lakes Estates.

The city has offered the neighborhoods around Clear Lake as many sandbags as they need, but neighbors said they are already flooded and do not think that sandbags will help.

All of this flooding has brought alligators and snakes right into residents’ backyards.

Neighbors said they have seen two alligators already and they are worried Ian could bring even more to the community.

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