Still flooded from Milton, Emerald Lakes homeowners wait – and wait

, Fla. — Almost one month ago, police officers and firefighters flooded into Clermont’s Emerald Lakes community to warn that rising water would make much of the neighborhood uninhabitable.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

The power was cut. A heavy MRAP rumbled through, picking up families fleeing with belongings they’d need for a week away from home.

That week turned into four – and the water is just returning to the level it was at the day the evacuations began.

Read: 1,000 join Veteran’s Day celebration at Lake Highland Prep

“Mother Nature’s letting it drain, and it’ll happen when it happens,” co-op President Ken Cook said. “We’re just sort of on standby.”

Cook waded through the waters near his own home Monday, pointing out the location of an alligator and the canoe he uses to travel up the street.

FEMA has assisted homeowners with money for hotel stays. The agency also constructed a Tiger Dam to separate the higher parts of the community from the lower end, with a pump to send water in the correct direction.

The lake level still has another foot to drop before it returns to normal. Cook said he was hopeful he could get 25 of the 40 remaining homes back onto the grid in the next couple of weeks.

Read: Orlando Science Center gearing up to set GUINNESS WORLD RECORD with massive rocket launch

“99% sure that there’s no water in any of the homes,” he said.

Community members wonder how they’ll prepare for the next storm. It’s the second major flood for the neighborhood in 20 years. Many don’t have the funds to raise their homes up higher.

Read: Great monkey escape: 25 of 43 rhesus macaques captured

It’s a question Cook asks himself every time he checks the water line.

“What can we do to prepare for if this happens again?” he asked.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group