Older homes face flooding concerns in Golden Gate Estates

People with older homes in Golden Gate Estates that are living in areas with newly constructed homes are blaming builders for their flooding concerns.

Newer homes are being built higher, which means there is less of a chance they will flood, but it’s forcing all the water down to the lower homes. That’s exactly why Golden Gate Estates residents are on high alert for flooding most days. And, the chances of a potential hurricane only raise residents’ levels of anxiety regarding flooding.

“We’re gonna need canoes instead of cars to get to the main drive, and that’s bad in a hurricane,” a Golden Gate Estates resident said.

Residents said they deal with flooding almost daily during the rainy season but aren’t sure how they’ll cope with a hurricane.

“I hope there’s a way to drain water off the main road so we don’t have to worry about this I mean, the pond in front of my house is about to crest,” the Golden Gate Estates resident said.

As of Friday afternoon, Southwest Florida is in the cone of the predicted storm. While the storm will presumably move east and west, likely growing, the residents in Golden Gate Estates are hopeful it moves far away from the area.

“I’m very worried because we just had some water that wasn’t a hurricane, and we were flooded for a while. I’m worried for the people that don’t have SUVs,” the Golden Gate Estates resident said.

Some residents believe the biggest concern is the fact that the water doesn’t have anywhere to go.

“The construction people not obeying to the rules and filling up ditches in the back and just rapidly building and pushing all the water, and that’s affecting the ones that are already here, and the water is pushing out the street,” another resident in Golden Gate Estates said.