Dade City monitoring low-lying neighborhoods near lakes and rivers for rising floodwaters

The Dade City Police Department and Pasco County officials put out alerts to low-lying neighborhoods and communities near rivers and lakes, warning residents about rising floodwaters.

On Wednesday and Thursday, officials asked residents to closely monitor water levels and to have a plan in place if evacuation is necessary. The alerts – which were posted on social media and the Nextdoor app – were aimed at several neighborhoods, including Carver Heights, Mickens Harper, Cash Quarters, East Lake Park and the Hormuth Subdivision.

Some East Lake Park residents, including Pastor May Ross, still cannot easily get to their homes, because both the street and their yards remain flooded.

"I praise God, I think there is no water in it as of yet. No water in it," Ross, who is the pastor of New Jerusalem Church of God, said of her home.

On Friday, out-of-town crews were on site, working to drain water from Ross' neighborhood.

"It's a giant vacuum truck. It has multiple uses, but right now, I'm literally sucking down all the rainwater from the two hurricanes back-to-back," John Yates, who works for Republic Services, said.

Pasco County officials told FOX 13 that Dade City officials requested these crews from the state.

"The people that's coming out here, they working very hard to try to save these homes and keep water from going into them," Ross said.