Buckingham residents push for solution to flooding

Buckingham residents are tired of their lives being thrown off course whenever it rains a little too hard.

They think all the flood water is preventable, and they want local leaders to do something about it.

They made their voices heard at a meeting in Lehigh Acres on Monday.

Local leaders were sympathetic. They heard neighbors out at the board meeting and even presented a couple of possible solutions to the problem. They want the people of Buckingham to know they’re not alone in this.

When we spoke with Buckingham neighbors last week, they felt like no one understood how badly they needed help.

“It’s making us feel like nobody cares,” said Janie McCarty, Buckingham resident.

But there was hope Monday evening as they stood in front of the Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District board—taking up every chair—and shared what they endured during the heavy rains that swept our area two weeks ago.

Board members agreed something needs to be done.

“Any sort of effort that we can give to the county, I would definitely as a commissioner on this board, would support doing so,” said Mike Bonacolta, board member of Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District.

They even discussed a few possible solutions, including utilizing a reservoir on nearby land owned by Lee County and creating a new drainage way from Buckingham to a wider area of the Orange River.

And for the first time since the flooding, Buckingham neighbors said they feel like help could be coming.

“They seem to be all on the same page with us,” said Pedro Delina, a Lehigh resident. “I’m hoping that they will really look into it with the seriousness that it deserves and address the matter.”