Constant flooding in Charlotte County neighborhood prompts concern among residents

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. When it rains, it pours — especially on Harper Avenue.

Some homeowners like Sandra Kipp are concerned about the flooding that occurs on their street when it rains.

“As soon as the water gets saturated on the ground, it just comes right in the lowest part of my house,” Kipp said.

Kipp’s home didn’t start flooding until after Charlotte County upgraded the drainage system in 2015, she said.

“Yesterday it just got to the kitchen, but in the past it’s flooded the whole house,” she said. “I’ve had tadpoles floating around my bed. I had to leave.”

Parts of Charlotte County received nearly four inches of rain Thursday in less than an hour, WINK News meteorologists said.

However, the storm was a rare weather event that the drainage system was unable to handle and low elevation is to blame for the frequent flooding, county officials said.

But Kipp and her neighbors wants the county to resolve the issue once and for all.

“I thought when we approached the county, they would fix it,” she said. “And obviously, it’s not fixed because it (water) came pouring in again yesterday.”

The Charlotte County Public Works Department plan to investigate to ensure the drains are working properly.