For the third time in a month, Sam Brown of Cocoa is dealing with the threat of his home flooding.

"Here it comes... She said, 'It's coming in the bedroom,' " Brown recalled his wife saying the night Hurricane Irma hit. "My son said it's coming into his room. Next thing, there was water all over the whole house."

Brevard County remains under a flood watch -- and it's not what residents want to hear considering all the wet weather and storms over the past few weeks.

With the forecast for the next day or two for 2 to 4 more inches of rain, roadways such as Uranus Drive are still dealing with floodwaters left behind by Irma and recent storms that dumped sheets of rain, which caused the St Johns River, the Indian River Lagoon and local lakes to swell.

The county has set up a sandbag distribution site for residents preparing for more rain.

A foot of rain drenched all of the Brown family's belongings. Then, this past Sunday, more rain fell, flooding part of the property again.

So Brown decided to get sandbags to try to ward off this latest flood threat in Brevard.

"It's frustrating. I don't mean no harm, but every time we leave and it's raining, we are scared when we get back that it's going to be a flood in the house," Brown said.

Dan Haddad, who owns Sterling Garage, an antique store off U.S. 1 in Rockledge, said his business has been suffering after the building he's in was flooded, ruining much of his inventory.

"Everyone is in a state of shock here. We don't know what to do," Haddad said, as fans run constantly to dry out the place.

During Irma, 16 inches of water flooded the roadway near his business. Then, this past weekend's rains brought even more water.

"I have no livelihood left, this is it," he said.

Both Brown and Haddad are waiting for officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give them damage estimates, but that could be weeks away.

Brevard sandbag site: Across the street from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Jail Complex at 860 Camp Road in Sharpes. BCSO staff will be on site to direct motorists. Officials are distributing them until 6 p.m. Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday or until supplies run out. Vehicles will be limited to 10 sandbags, which will be prepared and loaded in your vehicle at no cost.

'Hoping for better weather — please give us some'

As the rain keeps falling at Seminole County's Lake Harney — and the water continues to rise — John and Gayle Hankins keep working.

"It’s just been nonstop, sandbagging, digging out," Gayle Hankins said. “It’s been nonstop rain, and pretty much bashing us to pieces.”

The Hankins' property backs up to the lake. In recent weeks, high water and waves have destroyed much of their boat dock and bridge. They used to have a sandy beach. But now, the couple is worried it will go over a barrier of sandbags.

The couple said that after water from the St. Johns River caused Lake Harney to swell, they noticed it begin to go down a bit. But then windy weather this week whipped up waves, which battered the boards off their boat dock.

“If we had a choice between wind or water, I’d probably choose water,” Gayle said.

With heavy rain in recent days and with more rain expected, the Hankins likely won’t get a break in the effort to keep the water back.

“You can let yourself be discouraged, but this is our home, and we have to do what we can do to keep it safe, keep it dry,” Gayle said. “We’re hoping for better weather — please give us some.”

Seminole County emergency management officials said the water there is not expected to crest for the foreseeable future. That means it could reach close to a record flood stage.

Meanwhile, the Hankins said if the water level it goes up any higher, they could have water going into their home.

Seminole County sandbags sites:

  • Fort Lane Park, 3301 Fort Lane Park, Geneva, near the intersection of Whitcomb Road and Fort Lane Road (sandbags and fill dirt supplied)
  • Seminole County Sports Complex, 3450 E. Lake Mary Blvd., Sanford. Enter through Cameron Avenue. (Fill dirt available but no bags at this location; if residents need bags, free ones to fill are available at the Public Safety Building, 150 Bush Blvd., Sanford).

Residents are urged to bring a shovel and fill their own bags.

Free blue tarps are also available for Seminole residents, while supplies last, at the Public Safety Building, 150 Eslinger Way, Sanford. Residents must show identification of residency in Seminole County. Call 407-665-5102 for more information.