WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. — Some south Brevard County residents are concerned about more future flooding in their neighborhood.
What You Need To Know
- Residents in a Brevard neighborhood dealt with flooding in the past by pumping water to a nearby canal
- They were ordered to stop after flooding from the hurricanes last year
- They said they hope they will be able to resume pumping excess water out of the area
Linda Farrell has vivid memories from 2008, when Tropical Storm Fay parked over the Space Coast and dumped over 27 inches of rain in spots.
“You can see where the watermark was. We did have water in the garage,” Farrell said.
Her Westbrooke neighborhood streets were flooded, the pond behind her home overflowed its banks and water swelled up to her back porch.
“Way, way too close for comfort,” Farrell said.
In the years that followed, the homeowners association rented pumps to drain the seven retention ponds in the 574-home development before storms struck — water that drained into the Melbourne-Tillman canal.
It eased flooding concerns and residents’ worry.
But when hurricanes Ian and Nicole came through late last year, the HOA said the Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District stopped granting permission to pump out water.
They were told to shut down the pumps, even after residents had spent $20,000 to rent them.
“They were afraid we were going to flood Palm Bay, and we’ve been doing it for years,” Farrell said.
Now the flooding concerns are back, and Farrell and her neighbors fear the next storm will be the one that seriously damages their homes.
“We need to stop the flooding. We need help,” she said.
Spectrum News reached out to the Melbourne Tillman Water Control District for comment but hasn’t received a response to date.
Westbrooke homeowners are meeting Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. at the City of West Melbourne Council Chambers, Veteran’s Memorial Complex, 2285 Minton Road, to collect flooding pictures and stories to sway the district to let them resume pumping.