Mayor calls for new review of stormwater system
Responding to concerns from town residents regarding an inefficient stormwater drainage system which left homeowners reeling from flooding on side streets and in their homes after Hurricane Debby, Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers has called on staff to seek out a third party to review the town's stormwater plan.
The town has been implementing new stormwater drainage over the past year though many residents believe the current plans do not adequately address the issues that has led to stormwater runoff constantly backing up even during minor storms.
"The system that we are designing and we are putting in the ground now was designed pre-storm," Allers said. "We haven't reassessed that design."
Allers called on town staff to get an outside firm to get a second opinion and evaluate the stormwater project Tetra Tech has been working on, particularly with the new types of homes being built now.
"I am not confident in speaking with some of the people doing our side streets, I'll just be blunt, that they are confident that what they are putting in the ground is going to be sufficient for us in the future. If they are saying that to me, who else are they saying that to?"
Allers said he is also receiving complaints of contractors working in drainage easements without permits.
Allers said three days after a recent rain storm, the drain on his street was still backed up.
The town received $10 million from the state for stormwater repairs after Hurricane Ian.
Hurricane Debby, which dropped about six inches of rain on Fort Myers Beach from 100 miles way last month, buckled Estero Boulevard and side streets like Bahia Via and Curlew Street as high tide and backed-up drains created more flooding problems for the island. At least two motorists had to be rescued out of their cars.
"I lost another refrigerator," said Bahia Via resident Lee Ann Cochrane. "Everything is wet. It's ruined," she said. "Every time, the (water) is coming in high. It's not just a few inches. It's constantly higher than it's ever been since I've been here."
Cochrane, a retired Lee County educator who has lived on Fort Myers Beach since 1992, said one of her neighbors is planning to move. "She can't deal with it anymore," Cochrane said.
"I'm not sure anything can be done about it," Cochrane said. Cochrane is still recovering from Hurricane Ian when she and her husband lost many of her possessions. Despite their constant efforts to put their belongings higher to protect it from flooding, Cochrane said "there comes a time when you can't get it high enough."
She has had to throw away furniture and is worried about her water heater. She isn't sure her 1959 home will be able to withstand another major hurricane. "It took forever to get rid of Debby's water," she said.
Cochrane has been watching what the town and its contractors are doing on the street for the stormwater drainage project and doesn't see things improving.
"The ditch was filling up with water, so they pumped out the ditch and threw sod on it. After it rained, the sod was floating around," Cochrane said.
Cochrane believes the street needs a back flow valve, or a check valve to reduce the flooding. "Right now, the saltwater is in the street because it's high tide," she said. There is only one drain on the road and it goes into the canal, which frequently backs up because the canal is high.
Cochrane said the town tries every few years to fix the problem but never does.
"I've resigned myself to it. I don't see any big fixes," Cochrane said.
Sewage issues
Another issue is sewage running in the streets and into the canals after storms, Cochrane said.
Curlew Street resident Becki Weber said after Hurricane Debby she had to throw out furniture and her washing machine wouldn't turn on.
But worst of all was the sewage backing up into her bathroom, leaving sewage water for her to clean up. The shower drain was bubbling up with sewage bubbles as was the bathroom sink. She couldn't use her own bathroom sink. She contacted Lee County, which is responsible for the sewage system. County officials were slow to respond to her concerns, she said.
Weber said the driveway was flooded with water and sewage. There is a sewer manhole in her driveway and believes the flooding on the street contributed to the sewage problem. "The whole house started smelling like sewer gas," Weber said.
Weber said this never happened to her before.
The drainage on Estero Boulevard was largely broken by Hurricane Ian and has still not yet been fixed. Residents have blamed the broken drainage for contributing to the flooding problems on Estero Boulevard and the side streets.
"Lee County Department of Transportation continues to work through the process to implement repairs," Lee County spokesperson Tim Engstrom said. The county replaced the drainage on Estero Boulevard during a six-year reconstruction of Estero Boulevard that was completed six months before Hurricane Ian.
As for the sewage backing up, Lee County spokesperson Betsy Clayton said the county spent two days after Hurricane Debby working to pump down the Lee County Utilities system.
"Temporary backups (of the county's sewage system) can happen during situations in which there is standing water for periods of time, as the stormwater drainage system is the responsibility of the Town," Clayton said.
"I want to cry," Weber said. "This is supposed to be my home, my sanctuary. You can't live terrified that rain is going to jump a storm drain," Weber said. "We (Weber and her husband Bill) are both retired. This was our retirement dream. It's a nightmare."
