Flooding in Okeechobee
neighborhood flooding
Water has begun pouring from Lake Okeechobee and into our local waterways, with hundreds of millions of gallons pouring into the St Lucie River every day.
The heavy rains last week were a worst case scenario come true for an Okeechobee neighborhood. Folks who live off State Road 70 have complained for years about poor drainage in their area, and the heavy rains last week completely flooded out their neighborhood.
One neighbor had to wade through knee high water just to reach his house. Others had water just inches from their homes. Tony Hapner lives on 19th Lane. He says he reached out to the county last year, who told him it was the responsibility of the South Florida Water District. They in turn pointed him back to the county.
A representative with the Okeechobee County Commissioner’s Office told CBS12 that the flooding is due to excess water forced into the area from the widening of State Road 70. But the Dept of Transportation issued this statement denying the claim, and residents of the neighborhood say that it’s been prone to flooding for at least 10 years, well before the widening project began.
