Resident frustration grows as Sarasota County explores new stormwater department
The Brief
Commissioner Tom Knight of Sarasota County wants a stormwater department and manager who can help the system and residents.
One couple off of Bell Avenue said they've been asking for ditch clearing for nearly a year as the street continues to flood.
The Sarasota County administrator is expected to present what the department could look like next month.
SARASOTA, Fla. - Residents off of Bell Avenue in Sarasota County said ditches were covered with overgrown with weeds, trees and debris before last year's hurricane season, and it's only gotten worse. They nearly flooded last year, and they're not alone.
As they continue to ask for help, Sarasota County commissioners are considering a new department to tackle storm water management.
Follow FOX 13 on YouTube
Local perspective
For 16 years, Sue and Mark Inman have lived off of Bell Avenue in Sarasota County.
"This is not a flood zone. This should not be happening," said Sue.
The last year has been full of uncertainty for the couple.
READ: St. Pete approves projects to make sewer system more resilient
"I shouldn't have to worry about my house flooding if the county would do their job that I'm begging for help," she said.
The Inman's saw water creeping up with Hurricanes Helene and Milton. During Tropical Storm Debby, water came right up to their house and poured inside their bathroom.
"The water had come to a point where it just was coming in. We had to vacuum so we had two vacuums going, and we vacuumed the water all night," said Mark.
Sue said before Debby hit, she had been calling for help in clearing ditches in their neighborhood.
MORE: Lake Bonny residents brace for new hurricane season after Milton's devastating flooding
"It's a huge problem," she said. "We have, there's ditches right down the street from us here that have trees and bushes growing out of the ditches. It's obvious nothing has been done."
Sue and Mark said they've contacted Sarasota County not just once, but more than a dozen times, and the only action she's seen are these white flags saying proposed excavation that have gone up.
"Every time I call they say it's in progress. Well I'm not seeing any progress and we need help," she said.
Why you should care
They're not alone. Countless other residents have expressed concerns to Sarasota County commissioners.
"It is such an urgency for this community. It is important. I think public confidence has waned in us," said County Commissioner Tom Knight.
READ: Tampa Bay residents learn DIY ways to keep floodwaters out this hurricane season
Big picture view
That's why Knight has proposed a new department to take on stormwater management.
"It's a heavy lift on one division, especially after a hurricane, and we hear commentary that we are still digging out from last hurricane," he said.
Knight wants an expert who knows the ins and outs of stormwater management and can help maintain the system and waterways like Midnight Pass and Phillippi Creek.
"It's a freestanding position. I think this county has grown so rapidly that we want to make sure there is public confidence in what we are doing, and I think we've heard them loud and clear," said Knight.
Sue said she has reached out to Knight, Governor Ron DeSantis and others, and with no response, she and her husband are preparing now for what they could face.
MORE: St. Pete playwright writes kid's audiobook to help navigate hurricane stress during storm season
"What they have working now is not working," said Sue.
The other side
In a statement to FOX 13, Sarasota County said they will expedite the request to clear storm drains off of Bell Avenue. Here's a statement from the county:
"We are aware of the concerns on Bell Avenue, and we are actively working to excavate all ditches throughout the county. We have hired contractors to assist us in meeting this demand. One will be starting this week excavating ditches, with the second joining later this month that will be responsible for cleaning the pipes that connect ditches. The locates have been called in and the ticket for the infrastructure to be notated and marked to be excavated."
What's next
Next month, Sarasota County commissioners will hear from County Administrator Jonathon Lewis about options for creating a new stormwater division. Commissioners have said this should not duplicate services already offered.
The Source
Information was gathered by FOX 13's Kimberly Kuizon from concerned residents and from the June 3, 2025, Sarasota County Commission meeting.
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS:
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android
Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
Download the SkyTower Radar app
Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
What happens if your power goes out in a storm? FPL has some advice
Will your power zap off during a summer storm? Now that hurricane season is here, Florida Light & Power says now is the time to double down on preparations, including what to know about the utility's work and what happens in a power outage. Conlan Kennedy, Bianca Soriano and Jack Eble of FPL's communications team sat down with the Miami Herald in early June and offered advice for this Q&A: MORE: Can you lower your FPL bill this summer? How to set your AC and other tips What should customers be doing right now, before a hurricane hits? Have a plan. That will make sure you're ready to make the best decisions for you and your family. Make sure you have checked batteries, radios and flashlights. Have phone chargers available, including a car charger. What about generators? If you're planning to use a generator, now would be the time to make sure you fully understand how to operate that equipment safely in your home. FPL can visit your home or business to help you with that. Do you have a loved one that has medically sensitive equipment that requires electricity? What's your plan for that person whether back-up power or relocation? What has FPL done year-round to prepare for storms? We have a smart grid that we're upgrading all year. It help us speed up the restoration process. In 2024 — for hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton — it helped customers avoid more than 800,000 outages. We've been investing in smart grids since 2011. It helps improve our day-to-day reliability. How does the smart grid work? Smart switches can go on main lines or neighborhood power lines. With smart meters, the meters communicate with devices on the grid which communicate with mobile diagnostic centers throughout the state. The grid is communicating with itself. We no longer have to go house to house throughout the state. Is there anything consumers can do to reduce the probability of a power outage? That's the reason we invest year round in the grid. When storms come, we emphasize safety. If you feel your home is susceptible through your roof or window, we advise you unplug any unnecessary equipment, and in some cases turn off the breaker. Never plug in anything if standing water is in your house. If you see damaged electrical equipment or a downed power line after the storm, you can call 911 and then FPL. Stay away from flooded areas. What else should people be aware as a storm threatens? Before the storm, you'll see mini-cities where crews are set up, staging sites. These are areas we believe will see the hardest impact from the storm. When a storm passes and conditions are safe, crews cans spring right into action. As long as wind speeds are below 35 mph, we can safely restore power. We can begin restoration process even before a storm makes landfall. How soon will customers know about getting back their power? FPL will provide initial estimate time of restoration for all customers affected roughly 24 hours after a storm has cleared the area. This allows damage assessment teams to sweep the area and provide valuable information to restoration crews. How do you prioritize whose power to restore? We start with critical infrastructure like hospitals and 911 call centers. Then community essentials like grocery stores and gas stations. Meanwhile, households are automatically getting their electricity back. Then, going house-by-house in the hard-hit neighborhoods. If everybody else around you has power and you don't, that means it's customer-owned equipment that's damaged. That would be a time to give us a call What are other FPL resources during hurricane season? FPL has the following additional information online: ▪ Storm Center: ▪ Tips for businesses: ▪ Tips for homes: ▪ Power Tracker: ▪ FPL social media: The utility is on Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram. It also has tools in the App Store or Google Play, or by texting the word 'App' to MyFPL (69375).
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Flooding and rock slides close heavily damaged I-40 section in Smoky Mountains
HARTFORD, Tenn. (AP) — Heavy rain, flooding and a rock slide have again closed a section of the major cross country highway Interstate 40 along its narrow corridor through the Great Smoky Mountains. The slide and flood happened Wednesday afternoon around mile marker 450 in Tennessee, just to the west of the state line with North Carolina, the Tennessee Department of Transportation said on social media. Crews continued to work Thursday to get the water and rock off the highway and had not released when they think the road could be reopened, the DOT said. Engineers have found significant damage on both the highway and nearby ramps which was more extensive than originally thought, Republican Tennessee Rep. Jeremy Faison said on social media. 'Several areas remain under water, and there are potentially compromised slopes. Geotechnical engineers are on-site today to assess the stability of those slopes,' wrote Faison, who represents the area. The damaged section is part of 12 miles (19 kilometers) of I-40 in North Carolina and Tennessee that was washed away or heavily damaged by flooding that roared through the Pigeon River gorge during Hurricane Helene in late September. Crews repaired and shored up enough of the old highway to open one narrow lane in each direction in March. The lanes are separated by a curb several inches high that had to be removed to let vehicles stuck by the flooding and rockslide to turn around and go the other way. About 2.5 to 3.5 inches (63 mm to 89 mm) of rain fell in the area over about three hours, according to the National Weather Service. The permanent fix to stabilize what's left of the road will involve driving long steel rods into bedrock below the road, filling them with grout and spraying concrete on the cliff face to hold them in place. It will take years. I-40 runs from Wilmington. North Carolina to Barstow, California, and any detour around the Great Smoky Mountain section is dozens of miles. Trucks have gotten stuck on twisty narrow mountain roads and are banned on another major highway through the area U.S. 441 through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
4 days ago
Flooding and rock slides close heavily damaged I-40 section in Smoky Mountains
HARTFORD, Tenn. -- Heavy rain, flooding and a rock slide have again closed a section of the major cross country highway Interstate 40 along its narrow corridor through the Great Smoky Mountains. The slide and flood happened Wednesday afternoon around mile marker 450 in Tennessee, just to the west of the state line with North Carolina, the Tennessee Department of Transportation said on social media. Crews continued to work Thursday to get the water and rock off the highway and had not released when they think the road could be reopened, the DOT said. The flooded section is part of 12 miles (19 kilometers) of I-40 in North Carolina and Tennessee that was washed away or heavily damaged by flooding that roared through the Pigeon River gorge during Hurricane Helene in late September. Crews repaired and shored up enough of the old highway to open one narrow lane in each direction in March. The lanes are separated by a curb several inches high that had to be removed to let vehicles stuck by the flooding and rockslide to turn around and go the other way. About 2.5 to 3.5 inches (63 mm to 89 mm) of rain fell in the area over about three hours, according to the National Weather Service. The permanent fix to stabilize what's left of the road will involve driving long steel rods into bedrock below the road, filling them with grout and spraying concrete on the cliff face to hold them in place. It will take years. I-40 runs from Wilmington. North Carolina to Barstow, California, and any detour around the Great Smoky Mountain section is dozens of miles. Trucks have gotten stuck on twisty narrow mountain roads and are banned on another major highway through the area U.S. 441 through Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
