Sarasota County begins assessing drainage near flooded neighborhood after Debby
Laurel Meadows is still recovering from Debby
Two weeks after record rains from Debby caused severe flooding, Sarasota-area neighborhoods, including Laurel Meadows, are waiting for answers.
SARASOTA, Florida. – Following flooding from Debby, Sarasota County emergency crews will begin draining and inspecting two pipes near the Laurel Meadows neighborhood.
“As a family, we are struggling to get through this like everyone else. Our children are taking it very, very hard. It was very hard to show them what happened here and to see that their whole lives were literally on the side of the road at that point. They were just hauled out like nothing was happening and put on the garbage truck for pickup,” said Jeffrey Schermerhorn.
Jeffrey and Tara Schermerhorn had just remodeled their home in Laurel Meadows and turned it into their dream home. After the flooding after Debby, it is a shadow of what it once was.
Five feet of drywall had to be cut out, and fans are working to dry it out.
“It’s never been a problem. We’ve had rain for several days and it’s never been a problem,” Jeffrey said.
Jeffrey and his wife, like many in the neighborhood, want answers. Sarasota County said they are trying.
“We are currently still investigating the drainage system in this area to determine if there were any factors that contributed to the extreme flooding in this area,” said Spencer Anderson, public works director.
On Monday morning, county workers will begin sealing and draining two 48-inch pipes near her home area. Sarasota County said they will immediately remove the dams if rain or another storm is forecast to prevent further flooding.
“We really want to find out if there is something wrong with these pipes. They are about 45 meters long,” Anderson said.
Tara waits to see what they will find while her family and neighbors continue to live through this.
“We are still in hurricane season. We are in the middle of it. August to September to October. How do we know this won’t happen again or next time? We want them to give us an answer and then we want them to help us. Because when we asked for help, when our houses were under water, even after the storm, they did absolutely nothing. Nobody came. We asked for sandbags and they didn’t have any,” she said.
Every homeowner’s future is uncertain as they try to navigate the day ahead.
“It’s very difficult. It’s more than we expected when we moved in here,” Jeffrey said.
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