Flooding in Fort Myers Beach may have a fix

Poor drainage and flooding is something many Fort Myers Beach residents are used to when it’s rainy or high tide. The ongoing issue has caused many neighbors to speak out to town officials to get the problem resolved.

On Friday, Fort Myers Beach experienced flooding on virtually every street. Neighbors told us it has been worse.

“We noticed certain times of the year whenever we had high tides, the street would be flooded, pushing water all the way up to our garage door,” said Rick and Leslie Mindemann, Fort Myers Beach residents.

The Mindemanns live on a street that was not approved for the new project, aimed at alleviating flooding and fixing water drainage.

“I understand they have resource issues, but you’re dealing with residents that continually get water and the properties and in their house,” Leslie said.

The 19 newly approved streets will soon have an upgraded drainage system, with construction starting at any moment. There have been some delays in the success of the project.

“This program was already approved a year ago to start kicking off. We had to wait for state funding to get in place like most municipalities, and that’s kind of what’s dragged its feet,” said Frankie Kropacek, the Fort Myers Beach Operations and Compliance Director.

Some neighbors told WINK News Reporter Olivia Jean that they have seen 3 feet of water when it rains or is hightide, with one neighbor sharing that she moves her car to a higher elevation to avoid it being washed away.

“When you have a king tide and high storm surge, it is a recipe for disaster. There’s just nothing you can do no matter what system you had in place,” Kropacek said.

Many are asking if the project will make a difference on the approved streets.

“They’re teetering right at sea level. Let’s put it that way. These streets have been that way since people came here and started building houses back in the 20s and 30s,” Kropacek said.

Many hope the project will reduce flooding by improving drains.

Kropacek told WINK News their engineering firm provides them data, which is how they determine what streets need construction. They plan to release more street names that have been approved next week.

A full list of approved streets in the project is available here.